NoriNest (NN) produces premium home-fermentation kits for making foods such as kimchi and kombucha. NN was founded by two food technologists who have always used a product-orientated approach, focusing on technical quality, durable glass containers and unusual recipes. NN sells through specialist kitchen stores and has loyal customers, but sales growth has slowed. Recent customer feedback suggests that many potential customers want cheaper starter kits, shorter recipes and online video support. The marketing manager proposes changing to a more market-orientated approach for NN’s next product range.

Table 1 provides selected data comparing NN’s current product-orientated range with a proposed market-orientated starter range. The estimated market-share figures refer to NN’s share of the US home-fermentation-kit market by value in the forecast year, using the same market definition and period for both ranges.

Reviva Audio (RA) is a small private limited company that designs high-quality wireless speakers made from recycled aluminium. RA was founded by two sound engineers who believe that technical performance should guide all product decisions. Its latest speaker has excellent sound quality but is heavier and more expensive than competing products. Sales to music enthusiasts remain steady, but RA has failed to attract younger customers who often buy speakers after watching short online reviews.

RA’s marketing manager wants RA to become more market-oriented by carrying out customer research before designing its next speaker. She argues that RA should identify customer needs for portability, price and online promotion before finalizing product features. The founders are concerned that this change could weaken RA’s reputation for technical quality and originality.

FreshFork (FF) delivers prepared vegetarian lunches to offices in one large city. Two years ago, FF was one of only three businesses offering this service. Since then, the total market for office lunch delivery has grown rapidly because more employees have returned to city-centre workplaces and more businesses now offer wellbeing benefits.

FF’s sales revenue has increased, but its share of the city office lunch delivery market has fallen because several national food-delivery brands have entered the market. FF’s operations manager says the fall in market share shows that FF must cut prices and increase promotion immediately. The marketing manager argues that FF should not focus only on market share because the total market is still growing and FF has loyal customers who value its vegetarian menu.

ZipFuel (ZF) sells powdered energy drinks to amateur cyclists through independent sports shops. The overall market for powdered energy drinks has grown quickly because more consumers are exercising at home and joining cycling clubs. ZF’s sales revenue has increased, but several new online competitors have entered the market with lower prices and heavy social-media promotion. ZF’s operations manager wants to increase output because the market is growing. The marketing manager argues that ZF should first investigate why its market share is changing.

Table 2 provides selected market and ZF data for the powdered energy drink market over the last two years.

CloudCart (CC) is an online grocery delivery business operating nationally. CC entered the market early and has the highest market share by value. Its brand is well known and several supermarket suppliers give CC priority delivery times because of its large order volumes. CC’s chief executive wants to make “maintain market leadership” the main marketing objective for the next three years.

However, two smaller competitors have grown quickly by targeting customers who want lower delivery fees and more local products. CC has recently increased its advertising expenditure and offered frequent discounts to protect its market share. The finance director is concerned that these actions are reducing profit margins. Some customers have also criticized CC online for pressuring small suppliers to accept low prices.

MedLink Now (MLN) provides an app that allows patients to book online consultations with doctors. MLN was one of the first significant businesses to enter this market in its country and is currently the market leader by value. Its brand is well known and many clinics use MLN as their preferred platform. However, maintaining market leadership has become expensive. MLN has increased promotional spending and offered discounts to clinics, while smaller competitors are specializing in mental-health consultations and elderly-care services. The finance director suggests reducing promotional spending even if MLN loses some market share. The marketing director argues that MLN must defend its market leadership.

Table 3 provides selected data on MLN and two competitors in the online medical consultation market. For MLN, the market growth figure refers to the overall online consultation market; for MindHealth and AgeCare, the figures refer to their relevant mental-health and elderly-care segments, respectively.

RepairAble Mobility (RAM)

Read the resources and answer the questions that follow.

Resource 1 — Background of the social enterprise

RepairAble Mobility (RAM) is a social enterprise in Harbor City that refurbishes used mobility scooters and rents them at low weekly prices to older people on low incomes. RAM’s social objectives are to reduce isolation among older residents and to reduce electronic waste. Its founders are engineers who have developed a very durable scooter, RAM One, with a reinforced frame and long battery life. RAM has traditionally been product-oriented: design decisions are made mainly by engineers based on technical performance. RAM reinvests any surplus into repairs and free training sessions for users.

Resource 2 — Table 1: Affordable mobility-aid rental market in Harbor City

Resource 3 — Social-media statistic

A review of 480 comments on RAM’s social-media pages found that 62% asked for lighter foldable scooters, telephone booking or same-day repairs. Only 14% mentioned longer battery life.

Resource 4 — Quotation from a community nurse

RAM builds the toughest scooter in the city, but many of my clients cannot lift it into a taxi or use an app to book support. They need mobility, not engineering perfection.

Resource 5 — Possible strategic directions

RAM is considering two broad strategic directions. Option A is to continue improving RAM One’s technical features. Option B is to become more market-oriented by using user panels, nurse feedback and trial data to redesign the service and product range over five years.

SecondServe Kitchens (SSK)

Read the resources and answer the questions that follow.

Resource 1 — Background of the social enterprise

SecondServe Kitchens (SSK) is a social enterprise that collects surplus vegetables and grains from farms and wholesalers and turns them into low-cost lunch bowls. For every five lunch bowls sold, SSK donates one meal to a family support charity. SSK sells through two community cafés and a small number of employer canteens. The founders define SSK’s market as the city market for sustainable ready-to-eat lunches, but some employees argue that SSK should define its market more narrowly as rescued-food lunches.

Resource 2 — Table 1: City market for sustainable ready-to-eat lunches

Resource 3 — Social-media statistic

A survey link posted on SSK’s social-media channels received 1200 responses. 71% of respondents said they would buy SSK weekly if collection were available near their workplace, but only 18% correctly recognized SSK’s brand name without seeing its logo.

Resource 4 — Quotation from the founder

Growth matters because every sale funds donated meals. But if we chase market share by copying large commercial brands, we may lose the trust that makes people support us.

Resource 5 — Possible strategic directions

SSK could open workplace collection points, increase promotion of its social impact, keep its chef-led seasonal menu with minimal customer research, or partner with a national café chain that wants a sustainable lunch range.

CleanLight Solar (CLS)

Read the resources and answer the questions that follow.

Resource 1 — Background of the social enterprise

CleanLight Solar (CLS) is a social enterprise that leases low-cost solar lanterns to off-grid villages. CLS trains local repair agents and reinvests surpluses into free lanterns for schools. In the regional pay-as-you-go solar lantern market, CLS has the highest market share by value. Its managers are debating whether becoming an even stronger market leader should be the main marketing objective for the next five years.

Resource 2 — Table 1: Regional pay-as-you-go solar lantern market, 2025

Resource 3 — Social-media statistic

Analysis of 900 social-media posts mentioning CLS found that 76% of positive posts referred to trust, visibility or the fact that CLS is present in many villages. However, 54% of negative posts claimed that CLS was becoming too powerful or too slow to respond to complaints.

Resource 4 — Quotation from a local microfinance partner

CLS’s scale makes it easier for us to support solar lighting loans, but some village retailers fear they are becoming dependent on one organization.

Resource 5 — Possible strategic directions

CLS could invest heavily in promotion and discounts to increase its market share, focus on improving service quality before expanding, share training resources with smaller social enterprises, or enter neighbouring regions where solar-lantern markets are growing.