Bmw Case
CASE TEACHING NOTES
Brown Bag
John Cullen
1. Introduction
This case study charts the development of an Irish animation company from small, unambitious beginnings to becoming an award-winning, globally recognized company with a growing list of international clients nearly ten years later. It describes how the enterprise emerged at a time of demographic and cultural change in Ireland, and how the withdrawal of significant investment in the animation sector created entrepreneurial opportunities. Having charted the issues that underpinned Brown Bag’s early success and acclaim, the case ends by highlighting a set of strategic decisions which the directors faced eight years after an ‘accidental’ beginning in 1994.
2. The position of the case
This case provides an opportunity to examine the evolution of a small enterprise which was very much a ‘labor of love’ in its start-up phase rather than a profit-oriented business. It tells the story of how a small start-up begins by explaining the socio-cultural background which predated the establishment of Brown Bag. The genesis of the firm is described in terms which unearths the unique cultural, demographic and market conditions which influenced the directors, and the forces within the animation market, and the global and Irish national economies which shaped these.
The case explores some of the detail behind the firm’s initial projects and the rationales which presented to the directors and encouraged them to change their strategic direction.
3. Learning objectives
The Brown Bag case study is intended to provide a business case that is in many respects typical of entrepreneurial start-up companies who reach their goals and need to re-think strategy to survive and compete. It is written in a straightforward fashion which attempts to unpack the social, cultural and economic factors which led to the growth of the Irish animation sector and takes the reader through Brown Bag’s gradual accumulation of a structure and a
Brown Bag
John Cullen
1. Introduction
This case study charts the development of an Irish animation company from small, unambitious beginnings to becoming an award-winning, globally recognized company with a growing list of international clients nearly ten years later. It describes how the enterprise emerged at a time of demographic and cultural change in Ireland, and how the withdrawal of significant investment in the animation sector created entrepreneurial opportunities. Having charted the issues that underpinned Brown Bag’s early success and acclaim, the case ends by highlighting a set of strategic decisions which the directors faced eight years after an ‘accidental’ beginning in 1994.
2. The position of the case
This case provides an opportunity to examine the evolution of a small enterprise which was very much a ‘labor of love’ in its start-up phase rather than a profit-oriented business. It tells the story of how a small start-up begins by explaining the socio-cultural background which predated the establishment of Brown Bag. The genesis of the firm is described in terms which unearths the unique cultural, demographic and market conditions which influenced the directors, and the forces within the animation market, and the global and Irish national economies which shaped these.
The case explores some of the detail behind the firm’s initial projects and the rationales which presented to the directors and encouraged them to change their strategic direction.
3. Learning objectives
The Brown Bag case study is intended to provide a business case that is in many respects typical of entrepreneurial start-up companies who reach their goals and need to re-think strategy to survive and compete. It is written in a straightforward fashion which attempts to unpack the social, cultural and economic factors which led to the growth of the Irish animation sector and takes the reader through Brown Bag’s gradual accumulation of a structure and a