1. AIMS OF ASSIGNMENT
This final case study assignment aims to evaluate students’ abilities to:
• identify marketing problems, issues or opportunities in a given business situation;
• critically analyse these problems, issues or opportunities from a consumer behaviour perspective;
• provide solid managerial recommendations backed by an appropriate application of consumer
behaviour theories.
2. ASSIGNMENT DETAILS
When Marco Gobbetti, CEO of British luxury brand Burberry heard that you were nearly finishing your
consumer behaviour module, he was excited at the opportunity to engage fresh opinions on pressing
issues facing the business. “We need fresh, critical ideas”, Gobetti said, “someone who can do a good
analysis of the serious issues that face us, especially the consumer behaviour issues. We also need someone
to give us perspective on what is happening in the minds of consumers, brainstorm potential remedies and
recommend a well thought out strategy of how we can move forward”. Gobetti has invited you to make a
short presentation to him at a strategic management meeting. He expects you to provide:
• An initial assessment of the business situation that includes identifying problems, issues and
opportunities;
• A critical analysis of consumer behaviour drawn from an application of consumer behaviour theories
and concepts;
• A recommendation on what the company should do to fix the problem or take advantage of the
identified opportunity.
The “audience” of your presentation should be Mr. Gobetti and his senior leadership team and you are
playing the role of yourself as a consultant. Don’t feel you have to be “nice” to Burberry or Mr. Gobetti –
tell it like you see it (but provide support to your ideas). Be as critical or as positive as you like – he wants
to learn from your presentation.

3. THE ISSUE
Mr Gobetti would like your opinion as a consumer behaviour specialist, on his plan to move Burberry
upmarket to consolidate its market position as a luxury brand. “We must sharpen our brand position, we
must move up to plant ourselves firmly in luxury,” Gobbetti explains. “By re-energising our product and
customer experience to establish our position firmly in luxury, we will play in the most rewarding, enduring
segment of the market,” Gobbetti said. “This will enable us to drive sustainable growth and higher margins
over time, while continuing to deliver attractive returns to shareholders.” (Source: Marketing Week, 2017 –
https://www.marketingweek.com/2017/11/15/mark-ritson-burberry-repositioning/). Despite his clear
sense of direction, Gobetti’s plan was met with some scepticism. Now Gobetti would like to know more
about attitudes and behaviours of actual and potential customers, how they make purchase decisions and
respond to marketing stimuli. He plans to use this knowledge to shape Burberry’s future marketing
strategy.
To help you understand the context and prepare your presentation, Gobetti’s personal assistant has
shared with you articles published on trade magazines. These are available on KEATS.