1

ACING
CASIN
G
HELLO!!
I made this presentation in 2019,
so I apologize if it is not as
complete. My substack is
honestly more comprehensive,
but feel free to use this deck as a
more visual guide on casing and
interviewing :)
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AGENDA

INTRODUCTION THE CASE PROCESS

Why do we have case interviews Walking through the case interview
They’re stressful, intimidating, and We’ll learn how to walk through the
difficult to prepare for. Why are they a case process specifically used by MBB,
thing, and what are your interviewers Accenture, Deloitte, and other firms,
specifically looking for in performance? along with each firm’s nuances.

FRAMEWORKS DIFFERENTIATING YOURSELF PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

A love-hate relationship How can you stand out from the pack Perfect practice makes perfect
Frameworks help structure your What makes a great applicant even Now that you know how to ace the
thoughts and are critical to acing the greater? Go beyond the frameworks case, it’s time to practice with partners.
case. However, they can also be a and learn how to consistently apply Here you’ll learn what makes a good
crutch if you rely on them too much. your brand and creativity in the case. partner, and what makes good practice.

3
WHY DO WE HAVE CASE INTERVIEWS

▪ Assess your ability to identify problems, analytics,

Insight in how you approach and analyze
and business situations and problems
I Cases are about problem-solving, and the strength of ▪ Evaluate your quantitative, qualitative, and creative
your problem-solving aptitude is what’s being tested thinking skills as quickly and effectively as possible

▪ Interview cases are typically taken from real work

Cases are representative of the work
examples consultants and MD’s have worked on
II In addition to problem-solving, you must deal with ▪ Your ability to perform on-demand is also being
clients + executives, ambiguity, and on-demand pressure tested, as well as your social + interpersonal skills

▪ Provide a clear structure for your analysis + thinking

Therefore, to do well, the interviewer is looking ▪ Prioritize components of the problem
III For key skills + attitudes that are essential to succeed on ▪ Listen and use relevant information to develop a
the job as well as fit within the rigors of company culture clear recommendation along with risks and next
steps

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KEY EVALUATION CRITERIA

I II III

EFFECTIVENESS PROBLEM SOLVING PRESENCE AND

AND IMPACT AND INSIGHT COMMUNICATION

Tolerance for ambiguity Framing / organizing the problem Listening skills and humility
Self-motivated and directed Prioritizing the right issues Being concise and articulate
Leader and team player Identifying relevant information Acting credible and mature
Intellectually curious Drawing appropriate facts / conclusions Being persuasive and charismatic
Results-driven Identifying implications / next steps Maintaining your poise and calmness
QUICK TIPS FOR ‘DO’S’
OPEN DISCUSSION SOLVING THE CASE

RELAX FIRST IMPRESSIONS DO MATTER

▶ Keep it conversational and fun. This sounds like really ▶ Ask clarifying questions. There are no dumb questions.
vague advice, but think about this way: And yes, they really mean that when they say that.
▶ Your interviewer is BORED AF casing dozens of candidates. ▶ Think ALOUD. It’s okay to work in silence in some parts of
The easier and more enjoyable you make his/her job, the the case, but while you’re prepping if you’re unsure how
more he/she is going to like you and push for you. to tackle the problem voice your thoughts aloud so your
interviewer can stop you if you’re straying from the case

THE BASICS MAKE YOUR INTERVIEWER LIKE YOU

▶ Bring pen and paper. Most of the time they’ll have it on ▶ Make it easy for your interviewer to understand your
the desk for you, but bring it just in case. I personally like thought process, calculations, and overall strategy.
to bring a highlighter so I can keep track of critical data. ▶ LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN. Your interviewer wants you to
▶ Be prepared to ask questions at the beginning of the case, succeed. Imagine watching a candidate struggle. It’s a pain
before you tackle any specific problem, and after the case in the ass. They want you to do well, they will give you
when you get to know your interviewer’s story. tips, and it’s up to you to identify them + act accordingly.

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QUICK TIPS FOR ‘DONT’S’
OPEN DISCUSSION SOLVING THE CASE

GO OFF ON TANGENTS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS DO MATTER (REDUX)
▶ Less is more. The more you speak, the more likely you will ▶ Repeating back every detail of the case. Instead, recap the
make a mistake. And you’re also wasting valuable time. main facts / objectives in a 5 second sound bite.
▶ Being concise is key. Each point you make should last no ▶ Asking irrelevant questions that are tangentially related to
more than 20 seconds. the case or stray too far from the main objectives.

MESSY, UNSTRUCTURED DATA COLLECTION MAKE YOUR INTERVIEWER LIKE YOU (REDUX)
▶ Poor note-taking is a no-no. Apply structure, and when ▶ Ignoring given information, key data, and clues on relevant
you hand them in they will be impressed! information the interviewer provides you during the case
▶ Being spoon-fed data. Ask for it every step of the way! ▶ Getting bogged down by irrelevant issues
▶ Making assumptions w/out explaining corresponding logic
▶ Giving responses that don’t interact with the interviewer,
▶ Taking too long to answer the question
or asking for irrelevant data and questions

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THE CASE PROCESS (BCG STYLE)
The interviewer will provide data and
The interviewer will pose the problem Translate recommendation
context WHEN ASKED. They will evaluate
that is to be solved. They will also into implementation.
analytical & quantitative performance.
provide basic facts (varies in detail).
Incorporate other areas for
You will ASK for data, analyze qualitative
You will understand the situation and investigation (risks,
and quantitative information, perform
ask any clarifying questions. opportunities, etc.)
computations, and articulate impact.

INTRODUCTION APPROACH ANALYTICS RECOMMENDATION NEXT STEPS

You will articulate your framework and You will conclude your analysis with
sequence of analyses to solve the case. an actionable recommendation that
addresses the problem posed in the
The interviewer will evaluate your introduction.
structure and ability to organize your
thoughts in an effective & clear manner. You typically will have zero prep time
for the recommendation.

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THE CASE PROCESS (MCKINSEY STYLE)

Understand the situation and the case. Given this framework, what data do we What does the data mean? What are
What are the main objectives? Do we need to tackle the problem? Ask for the findings, and why do they matter?
need to ask any clarifying questions to data, and more often than not the
further understand how the interviewer will guide you to next steps. Never end an answer with a number -
industry/business model/etc. work? end it with a “why does this matter?”

FRAME THE FRAMEWORK DEVELOP

INTRODUCTION DIG DEEPER SYNTHESIS
PROBLEM TO ANALYSIS INSIGHTS

Analyze qualitative and quantitative data What do you tell your

Develop a bespoke framework to that is given to you. Examples of tasks client after you’ve
comprehensively and holistically may include: sizing the market, synthesized the data?
understand the problem at hand. calculating break-even points,
identifying the major drivers of Develop actionable
Is it MECE? But more on that later :) costs/revenues, etc. recommendation(s)
and next steps / risks.

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BREAKING DOWN THE PROCESS
INTRODUCTION
QUALITATIVE
▶ Listen to the prompt and take notes. Ask
clarifying questions, and clearly highlight ▶ Listen to the prompt closely, take 10-30
your objectives (there may be more than seconds to collect your thoughts/notes

MY NAME IS
1!). ▶ Start with your initial thoughts then quickly
HELLO

▶ Take 30 seconds to develop your framework. ramp into your core insight.
Go at least 2 levels deep. ▶ Impact your insight (e.g. why do we care
▶ When you finish your framework, ask for sales increased 5% while margins decreased
next steps (what information do we have on by 25% in the same time frame?).
our revenue/cost structures).

QUANTITATIVE CONCLUSION
▶ Jump immediately into your synthesis when
▶ Listen to the prompt closely, take 10-30

PRICE
asked. If you must, take at most 10 seconds
ELDR

seconds to collect your thoughts/notes.

to highlight key notes you will review.
▶ Begin by explaining what the
▶ Start with recommendation, then highlight
graph/calculation is supposed to lead to
2-3 parts of case that supports your analysis.
▶ Analyze the numbers, walk them through
▶ Finish with risks (list 1-2) and next steps
the calculations, and impact your insights
(implementation, risk mitigation, etc.).

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USEFUL FORMULAS
BREAK-EVEN CAGR / 72 ELASTICITY TERMS MATH 101
Break-even is the point CAGR is percentage Elasticity is the trade- There are important There are certain math
in which revenues rate in which a figure off between price and terms you should be tricks + shortcuts that
equals costs (FC + VC). (e.g. # units sold, quantity sold. aware of (VC, FC, will drastically reduce
profit, etc.) must grow Break-Even, Financial the time needed to
This is the most to reach a given end This helps with pricing Statements, etc.). perform calculations.
commonly asked value over a given # of optimization cases, and
question, so we will be years. can help you stand out This section will cover Goodbye written-by-
exploring the questions in other types of cases them and their hand calculations, and
asked and Rule of 72 is that a as well (profitability, definitions in detail. hello mental math in
computations needed quantity will double market entry, etc.). <10 second answers.
to solve the problem. whenever the number
of years * annual
growth rate = 72

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 TERMS
BREAK-EVEN CONTRIBUTION ASSUMPTION TOP-DOWN OUTSOURCING
The point in which MARGIN Asserting a condition is Start with the largest Obtaining
revenue equals costs The price of a product true (the US population possible figure for your goods/services from a
(objective is to find minus its variable is 320M) using basic market then drill down foreign supplier. Often
quantity sold, time costs, resulting in the logic and intuition. using information and cheaper than in-house.
needed, etc. to reach incremental profit per assumptions.
break-even point) product sold. MECE SYNERGY
Mutually exclusive, BOTTOM-UP The interaction of two
FIXED COSTS CORE COMPETENCY collectively exhaustive. Start with the basic parties that results in a
Administrative A capability/advantage Refers to a framework units of your business combined effect
expenses, rent that differentiates a analyzing all possible (product, price, etc.) greater than the sum
insurance, etc. company (marketing, angles of the situation. and then scale up using of their separate
finance, production, info + assumptions. effects.
VARIABLE COSTS management, sales, SANITY CHECK
Materials / COGS, R&D/technology, etc.) Looking back on your KPI’S BUSINESS MODEL
labor, etc. numbers to see if they Key performance How a company makes
make sense. indicators (re: metrics). money (price*quantity,
subscription/month * #
subscribers * 12m/1y)
FORMULAS
When calculating, use K, M, B, T for Thousand, Million, Billion, and Trillion respectively.
SHORTHAND K*K is 1M, K*M is 1B, K*B is 1T, M/K = 1K, B/K = 1M, T/K = 1B, and it becomes intuitive.

20K * 60M = 1,200KM = 1,200B = 1.2KB = 1.2T

480B / 240M = 2 B/M = 2K
175B / 25k = 7 B/K = 7M

FACTORING When calculating, factor large numbers and break them down into simpler components.

36 * 25 = 36 * (100/4) = 36/4 * 100 = 900

2,600 / 75 = 2600 / 25 / 3 = (2,600 * 4/100)/3 = 104/3 ~ 34.67 (you can say
33-35)
EXPANSION
When calculating, break down one of the terms into simpler numbers.

68 * 35 = 68*(30+5) = 2,040 + 340 = 2,380

705 / 15 = (600 + 105) / 15 = 600/15 + 105/15 = 40 + 7 = 47
570 / 30 = (600 - 30) / 30 = 600/30 - 30/30 = 20 - 1 = 19
FORMULAS

Hitting break-even is the most important metric for a business launching a new initiative,
BREAK-EVEN I releasing a new product, entering a new market, or evaluating whether or not they
should continue/discontinue a specific product/service line.

Break-Even Formula 1: Revenues = Costs (Fixed and Variable)

Break-Even Formula 2: Fixed Costs = Quantity Sold * Contribution Margin

Contribution Margin = Price per Product - Variable Cost per Cost

FORMULAS
EXAMPLE: For our client, a helicopter-service company, let’s say fixed costs per year are:
BREAK-EVEN II Helicopter leasing & maintenance: $250,000, Staff wages & salaries: $125,000, Marketing:
$60,000, and Aerodrome costs: $125,000. The expected demand revenue and costs per
helicopter flight are: Average price per flight $2,850, Variable cost per flight $350. And
Expected number of flights per month 35. Do they break-even / are they profitable?

FC = $250K + $125K + $60K + $125K= $560K

Contribution Margin = $2,850 - $350 = $2,500 = $2.5K

Expected # Flights / Year = 35 * 12 = 35*10 + 35*2 = 420

Quantity to Break-Even = FC / CM = 560/2.5 = 5,600 / (100/4) = 224 flights

CONCLUSION: 420 > 224 they will break-even (by almost 2x) so this is a healthy business
model. That being said, there may be other risks (competition, industry trends) that are
not currently accounted for, so our work is not over yet (MODEL RESPONSE).
FORMULAS
A concept that explains the trade-off between price and quantity sold
ELASTICITY
Elasticity = (% Change in Quantity Demanded) / (% Change in Price)

Example: An increase in the price of oranges from $1.00 apiece to $1.50 apiece causes
demand for those oranges to fall from 100 units to 80 units. The % Change in Quantity = –
20% and the % Change in Price = 50%. Therefore elasticity = (–20 ÷ 50) = –0.4.

For normal goods, Elasticity of Demand will always be negative (higher prices mean less
quantity is purchased). If the absolute value of the elasticity is <1 then Inelastic. If the
absolute value of the elasticity is >1 then Elastic.

In cases, usually the correct answer is to increase prices in Inelastic markets (price
increases lead to a relatively small decrease in products sold) and decrease them in
Highly Elastic markets (price increases lead to a large decrease in product sold).
FORMULAS

CAGR CAGR is the % at which any figure, such as # units sold, a population, or an investment
must grow in each year to reach a given end value over a certain amount of time.

CAGR = [(Ending Value ÷ Beginning Value)^(1 ÷ Number of Years)] – 1.

Example: If sales grew from $1,000 in the year 2001, when a store opened, to $2,100 in
2012, what is the CAGR? Answer: [(2,100 ÷ 1,000)^(1 ÷ 11)] – 1 = 2.1^(0.090909) = 7.0%.
Thus, the CAGR between 2001 and 2012 was 7.0%.

A quantity will roughly double in value whenever the number of years times the annual
RULE OF 72
growth rate equals 72.

Example: If your project has a 10% growth rate, then it would take 72/10 = 7.2 years to
double your original principal given the aforementioned growth rate.
FRAMEWORKS (BESPOKE)

PROFITABILITY MARKET ENTRY MARKET SIZING M&A STARTUP / VC

The bread-and-butter The second most The dreaded mini-case While not as common, The least common case
of case interviews. You common case that can stem in any you should still be interview style, but if
will be asked to interview type. You will case interview style prepared to tackle you are interviewing
evaluate the be asked to evaluate (profitability, market M&A / Investment for a consultancy that
profitability - or more whether or not the entry, M&A, etc). styled case interviews, works with startups
likely the lack thereof - client should enter a as they are common in and VC’s then be
of a client and identify specific market. Private Equity and Due prepared to
the key drivers and Diligence work. understand this style.
relevant solutions.

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PROFITABILITY
FRAMEWORK
GENERAL
ISSUE TREE
PROFITABILITY
FRAMEWORK
ISSUE TREE
BREAKDOWN
PROFITABILITY
FRAMEWORK
TAILORED
ISSUE TREE
PROFITABILITY
FRAMEWORK
EXPENSE Ask for and gather current expense breakdown and historical expense breakdown.

ANALYSIS Identify the “bang” areas (expense areas that account for a large percent of the total).

Analyze key Fixed and Variable expense components and identify any meaningful changes.

Request information on competitor cost structures to see where the company’s Cost structures
may be inefficient. Assess whether any areas could be cut with minimal or no impact on sales.
 PROFITABILITY
FRAMEWORK
REVENUE Ask for and gather current + historical sales Ways to improve volumes may involve:
volumes and pricing. Determine growth rates. - Identifying changing customer
ANALYSIS desires/demands and responding
Identify the “bang” areas (revenue streams that accordingly.
account for a large percent of the total/growth). - Investing in and/or re-thinking marketing
strategy.
Analyze the key product areas and identify any - Expanding distribution channels.
meaningful changes in volumes and prices. - Expanding sales force or customer
service.
Request information on competitor revenue - Expanding production capacity.
models (sales volume and pricing) from the - Expanding product/service portfolio
interviewer to see where the company is - Making an acquisition or entering into a
potentially missing profitable business activity. joint venture/strategic alliance
- Assessing which products/divisions
To increase revenue, you can either INCREASE might have the largest growth
PRICES, or INCREASE VOLUMES SOLD. opportunities and allocating investments
accordingly.
 MARKET ENTRY
FRAMEWORK
ISSUE TREE SHOULD WE ENTER THIS MARKET

IS THIS A GOOD MARKET CAN WE SUCCEED CAN WE SUCCESSFULLY ENTER

Current market size and growth Core competencies (brand loyalty,

M&A
Future market size and growth product features, marketing, R&D, etc.)

Barriers to entry, substitutes Customer / market segmentation Joint Venture

Competitive pressures, Competitors’ How do we compare to our

Organic Entry
market shares over time competitors on the 4 P’s?

Client capabilities (first time entering a Risks (Culture/Post-Merger Integration,

PESTLE framework
market?), financials (cash-heavy or not) Regulatory, Financials, Macro, etc.)
MARKET ENTRY
FRAMEWORK
INDUSTRY Things to consider: current and future market size and growth rates, customer mix, industry-wide
profitability, M&A activity, competitive response to market entry, barriers to entry, brand loyalty
ANALYSIS
PESTLE: Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological, Legal, and Environmental. This is a catch
all phrase that basically nets any other opportunities and risks inherent in the considered market.

COMPETITOR Things to consider: key competitors and their strategies, current market shares and shares over
time, product differences, recent moves/threats by a key player to the market or a new entrant
DYNAMICS

ENTRY M&A: Acquiring a company in the market in order to enter. Capital intensive and aggressive.
STRATEGY JV: Partnering with a company in the market to enter. Non-capital intensive and cautious.
Organic: Entering a market by internally building out the business. Highly aggressive.
MARKET SIZING
FRAMEWORK
FORMULA
BASED

Relational

ISSUE TREE
BASED
 MARKET SIZING
FRAMEWORK
TOP-DOWN When using the top-down approach, start your hypothesis with a large general number and then
drill down into specific segments from there.

You can break down your large number (e.g. population) into segments by AGE, INCOME,
GEOGRAPHY, GENDER, etc. and then whittle down your segments from there. I personally do AGE
0-19 (25%), 20-39 (25%), 40-59 (25%), and 60+ (25%) with a total population of 320M. Each group
is composed of 80M people, and each age category is 4M (e.g. # of 20 year old’s is 4M).

THE TOP-DOWN APPROACH

# CUSTOMERS
QUANTITY FREQUENCY PRICE
How many people /
How much will they How often do they How much will they spend?
households will purchase /
purchase/use in a given purchase/use the product? Different tiers for different
use the product in
time frame (week/month) Weekly/monthly/yearly types of products sold
question
 MARKET SIZING
FRAMEWORK
BOTTOM-UP When you take the bottom-up approach, you isolate a single geography, store, unit, consumption
pattern, or other micro-element of a larger population – then roll the numbers up to a larger
scale.

When you’re asked to measure physical distribution, the geography approach is optimal. For
instance, to answer “How many payphones are there in London?” you should estimate how many
payphones there are in a city block (starting with a smaller scale), then multiply by the number of
blocks in the whole city vs. the top-down approach of identifying how many people live in
London, how often they use payphones, how frequently payphones are used daily, etc.

THE BOTTOM-UP APPROACH

CUSTOMERS TYPES FREQUENCY PRICE OPERATION TIMES

What customer / product / How many purchases are How much will they spend? How many hours/year do
etc. segments exist within there in “an hour” by How much is each they operate? Assume 50
the context of the problem customer/product segment segment’s purchase weeks/year, or 350 days
YOUR TURN
 M&A / INVESTMENT
FRAMEWORK
ISSUE TREE
TO ACQUIRE OR TO NOT ACQUIRE?

THE MARKET THE TARGET THE BUYER SYNERGIES + RISKS

Are both companies in the Current financial position Acquisition rationale (why Values of the combined
same market? and performance (cash?) are we acquiring - and separate synergies
synergies, market entry,
Market size, growth rate Important assets and market share, objectives) Hard synergies (cost-based)
competitive capabilities
Market profitability Acquisition financing (how Soft synergies (revenue,
Quality of management do they plan to finance) brand, intangible based)
Competitive pressures, team, other buyers (?)
Barriers to Entry M&A experience Risks (post-merger, etc.)
Culture of target vs buyer
PESTLE industry analysis Capability gaps w/ target Exit strategy (divest, etc.)
 M&A / INVESTMENT
FRAMEWORK
CAPABILITY Do they specialize in areas our client is weak in? Or vice versa?
Example: Our client is a large pharmaceutical company with global scale. The target
GAPS company is a small biotech startup with a promising drug in its pipeline. Our client may
have advanced marketing capabilities and geographic reach while the target company has
a tight-knit culture of innovation and talent that backs it up. What is the gap here?

SYNERGIES Hard Synergies: Shared IT systems, supply chain efficiencies, merged sales and marketing,
merged R&D teams, cutting middle management, patent sharing, combining offices, etc.

Soft Synergies: Patents merging to develop new innovative products, complementary

products, complementary geographies and customers, share best practices, etc.

RISKS Post-Merger Integration: the process of maximizing synergies post-acquisition

Culture: is there a huge difference in culture, leading to an exodus of talent?
Financials: does the client have enough cash/financing to acquire the target
Competitive Response: will competitors begin acquiring other companies?
Exit Plan: Sell/Divest, Grow/Expand (Not always relevant, usually only for PE)
Next Steps: Implementation, M&A Financing, Restructuring Strategy, etc.
 STARTUP / VC FRAMEWORK
ISSUE TREE KEY CONSIDERATIONS

IS THIS A GOOD MARKET BUSINESS PLAN (INTERNAL) BUSINESS PLAN (EXTERNAL)

Current market size and growth Product / Service

Customers / Distribution Channel
Future market size and growth What is the product / service
Who are the target customers
What are its competitive advantages
What are the core distribution channels
Barriers to entry, threat of substitutes Threat of competitors/substitutes
What is the go-to-market strategy
Who are our target customers What is its proposition

Competitive pressures, Competitors’ Management / Investors Financing / Profitability

market shares over time Experience and capabilities What are the initial funding
Reputation, expertise, and legitimacy requirements to break-even
Who are the key directors/advisors What are projected revenues, costs,
PESTLE framework
and profits in the next 3 years
FRAMEWORKS (STRUCTURAL)

PORTER’S 3 C’S 4 P’S SWOT BCG MATRIX

Porter’s 5 Forces is a The 3 C’s is a The 4 P’s of Marketing Ah yes, the classical Ah yes2 , the BCG
classic HBS framework framework that helps are a framework that Strengths, Weaknesses, growth-share matrix
that serves as a quick you tackle a problem helps you break-down Opportunities, and that lets you categorize
five-step process for by studying Customers, a problem by analyzing Threats framework. products into cash
analyzing an industry Competition, and then Products, Pricing, cows, stars, and such.
and an incumbent Company. Promotion, and Place. Remember SWOT in
firm’s overall the Daily Cal It’s a very simple
profitability given This framework is also This framework2 is also interviews? Somewhat framework, but
specific industry-wide useful for APM/APMM useful for APM/APMM still useful for case actually pretty useful in
conditions. interviews as well! interviews as well! interviews. managing PLC’s.

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PORTER’S FIVE FORCES
THE THREE C’S
COMPANY CUSTOMER COMPETITION

Product/service offering Customer mix Competitor mix/make-up

Pros and cons of product/service Who are our target customers Market share
Value chain Demographics (age, gender) Fragmentation
Values and preferences Financial situation
Profitability analysis Wants and needs Management
Break-even analysis Core competencies
Revenue and Cost structures Positioning within segments
Customer segment sizes Competitors’ products
Other Company factors Customer segment shares Value proposition versus client’s
Production capacity Customer segment growth rates value propositions
Core competencies (target, non-target)
Regulatory environment Value chain benchmarking
Distribution network Key decision drivers Production (capacity),
Management + core employees Price, Product characteristics Distribution (channels),
Other Brand, Place, channel Marketing (strategy/brand)

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THE FOUR P’S
PRODUCT PRICE
▶ Product analysis: Company product features, ▶ Price elasticity: Premium vs value, customer
qualities, Commoditized / Differentiated loyalty, supply vs demand dynamics
▶ Competitor analysis: Competitor product ▶ Price of substitute products / services
qualities / features, value propositions ▶ Price of competitors’ products / services
▶ Substitute product options: How close are ▶ Profitability analysis (break-even price,
substitutes, what are the switching costs break-even quantity, profit targets, etc.)

PLACE PROMOTION
▶ Which channels to use: select / exclusive ▶ Who are the target customers?
channels, entire distribution network ▶ Is the company attracting its target market?
▶ Transport / logistics: seamless delivery, ▶ What are the most effective marketing
internal transport, outsource logistics campaign strategies for this market?
▶ Specific location within channels: online ▶ What does current retention look like?
placement, product placement (retail) ▶ Can the client cross-sell to current
customers?

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PROMOTION (DEEP-DIVE)

SALES
PERSONAL SELLING PUBLIC RELATIONS
PROMOTION MASS MEDIA DIRECT MEDIA
Establishing a face-to- Fostering a positive Using sales incentives, Print and digital A form of advertising
face relationship with image using news discounts, loyalty advertisements in aimed at specific types
your customer outlets, publications, programs, etc. to newspapers, television, of customers (e.g.
(meeting your and industry groups encourage higher sales. radio, and more. identifying segments
customers IRL). and/or hosting charity and mailing to their
campaigns. Useful if elasticity is The most traditional, a home/email/etc.).
This is the most useful, high, customers are common example of
especially since it is Useful for startups, price-sensitive, and/or advertising/promotion It’s a pretty traditional
personal, can be breaking into a new you want to break into but the most expensive form of promotion, but
customized for each market/new product, a new market. and least targeted. you can leverage
customer, and is or if you are a B2B internet data to deliver
targeted. business. targeted ads to users.

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SWOT ANALYSIS
BCG GROWTH-SHARE
MATRIX
DIFFERENTIATING YOURSELF

Be Yourself.
But Better.

#01 PERSONALI
TY
Being yourself is a true
indicator of how you
would perform on the
job
#02 SKILL /
TALENT
Demonstrating unique
capabilities will make
you stand out from the
crowd
DIFFERENTIATING YOURSELF
CREATIVITY KNOWLEDGE
▶ Draw upon personal experiences! ▶ Demonstrate a unique grasp of industry
Experiential Marketing, Product Marketing, knowledge. This is actually difficult, because
Marketing Analytics, other courses + orgs, most cases revolve around lesser known
anything is fair game! industries so some applicants don’t have a
▶ Think about the case from the CUSTOMER’s stronger grasp of the case than others.
POV, this will help unlock new insights. ▶ You can draw upon your knowledge to
What would get you to buy the product? inform assumptions (e.g. based on my
Identify your pain-points and then understanding of banking in South Korea,
extrapolate. which is relatively similar to that of the US...)

CHARISMA HITTING 110%

▶ SMILE LAUGH LIVE A LITTLE TRY TO SURVIVE ▶ Even if you’re not creative, knowledgeable
▶ Show that you have a sense of humor, and or particularly charismatic in 1 case
maintain strong poise and confidence interview, you can hit 110% in every core
▶ Make eye contact, especially when you are area (the core requirements) to stand out
speaking. Flip the notes over so they don’t ▶ Very few candidates are perfect, and if you
have to read upside down. hit your 110% you will differentiate yourself
▶ The other areas help if you’re not perfect

41
 Luck

10.0
%
20% Skill

Concentrate
d

15.0%
Power of Will

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Perfect practice makes perfect, so let’s get that bread

Pleasure

5.0%
50% Pain

Reason To

100.0
%
Remember The
Name
 43

Q&A