INSTRUCTIONS
There are four questions on each case. Write a substantive answer to each question, while citing
relevant case data to support your answer, as well as any marketing strategy theory you have
learned. Do not discuss material that is not relevant to the questions asked. You should write at
least 2-3 substantive paragraphs for each question part. You may conduct research beyond the
case notes on your assigned company to improve the quality of your answers. Copy the
question before each answer.
Marvel Questions
Q1. The sustainability of Marvel’s model/brand. Can Marvel continue to milk its most
prominent characters? How many more Spider-Man movies does the public really want? How
many franchises exist of more than three successful movies? Can the company develop new
major characters? Does Marvel have another character with the appeal of Spider-Man? Can it
develop one from scratch? Should Marvel move into production and distribution of movies and
other media products? Why? Marvel seems to have achieved a high level of synergy in its
portfolio of businesses. However, that doesn’t make it a “Disney”— we still have to deal
with the concern that the company might be too dependent on one character. What do we
know about the brands in Marvel’s portfolio, i.e. the characters in Marvel’s Universe? What
defines the value of each character? Why is Spider-Man the number one character? Why does
it have a broader appeal? Does Marvel have any characters that are similar to Spider-Man?
What is the Marvel Universe without Spider-Man worth? How can Marvel further extend the
lifecycles of its most prominent characters? How can Marvel increase the total revenues per
character? How can the company leverage its past successes with Spider-Man to develop lesserknown characters?
Q2. The Role and Interplay of Marvel’s Divisions. Marvel executives see Marvel as a miniconglomerate consisting of three divisions: comic book publishing, toys, and licensing. It is
worthwhile to consider the strategy and growth opportunities for each division. If you were
given the choice to run one of Marvel’s divisions, which one would you pick and why?
Q3. What is Marvel’s strategy in each of its divisions? Are they executing it well? Would you
change anything? Are there strong growth opportunities in this division? Do you see any growth
in these divisions or are we looking at a stagnant/dying business?
Q4. Synergy between Divisions. This is a consideration of the interplay of Marvel’s businesses.
Is the performance of one of Marvel’s division related to the performance of another?
What is the interplay between Marvel’s divisions? What drives what? Do movies drive comic
book sales? Or is it the other way around? What business was Marvel in historically? What
business is it in now? Has it revived a dying business? Is it shifting the focus of the business?
