Reference no: EM133391341

Best Buy Inc. - Dual Branding in China (Marketing Case)

John Noble, senior vice president , Best Buy International has just completed the acquisition of a majority holding in Five Star and is about to roll out Best Buy's retail operation in China. The objective of the case is to develop for Noble a post acquisition road map in China, specifically in relation to branding. While Noble has the support of the Board of Directors, two stipulations were placed on him. Both brands should grow simultaneously, and they should deliver on sales targets. Noble has a significant challenge that he has to overcome. China is a vastly different market from Canada. Noble has no guarantee that what it learned from the dual-strategy experience in Canada will successfully carry over into China. For Noble, approaching the branding question in China is like starting on a clean slate all over again. The questions: Should Noble pursue a dual-branding strategy in China? If so, how can the company make it work? Address the following questions in conjunction with the overall question above:

1. What are the conceptual underpinnings of a dual-brand strategy?

2. What did Best Buy learn from it's experience with dual-brand strategy in Canada?

3. How does the Best Buy situation in China differ from its situation in Canada?

4. Does a dual-brand strategy provide Best Buy with a core competitive advantage as it expands into new global markets?