TomTom is known for its portable navigation device, but now generates more than half of its revenues from location technology development, licensing and sales to automotive and hi-tech companies. The case is set on 18 September 2018, the day when TomTom lost 25 per cent of its share value following Google's announcement that they would be supplying Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi‘s infotainment and navigation systems.
From B2C to B2B marketing
The web-supported, multi-source marketing case about TomTom’s journey from B2C to B2B was developed by Prof. Steven Sweldens and in collaboration with Tao Yue and Niela Kleinsmith from RSM’s Case Development Centre as well as Matthieu Campion from TomTom.
The case covers the differences and similarities between B2B and B2C marketing, and how and under which circumstances B2C-oriented brand associations can contribute to success in B2B settings. Students will also explore how to change a strongly-embedded brand identity, with both internal and external stakeholders, from the B2C to the B2B domain. And they will learn the challenges posed by ‘big bang disruptors’, which come with shark-fin models of new product adoption.
The case also gives learners the opportunity to weigh the strategic options available to companies competing with tech giants such as Google. All in all, students will acquire a deep understanding of how brands need to be managed over time.
Rich multimedia support
The TomTom case is supplemented with a website full of rich supporting multimedia materials. The multi-source case includes videos, an executive summary, teaching cases and notes, a PowerPoint presentation, and video supplements and interviews with TomTom’s senior management.
It’s suitable for postgraduate and executive education courses, including MBA programmes and other master or executive-level students in marketing, branding and innovation. INSEAD Business School is implementing the case in its MBA’s brand management elective. And as the case articulates a strategic vision of branding, it is also appropriate for people with an interest in consulting and general management.
The Case Development Centre
Business students, and even seasoned business experts, can learn from the experiences of other real-life organisations and decision-makers. The Case Development Centre (CDC) at RSM supports case-based management education by turning exceptional business and management experiences into powerful learning tools. CDC connects world-class research, education and business by developing high-quality case studies.
