Case Name :      Strategic Direction at Quack.com (A)

Authors :           Kenneth G. Hardy, Amy J. Hillman, Benji Shomair

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            902A03

Discipline :        Strategy

Case Length :    16 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

Quack.com was in dire straits. An early entrant in the voice portal market, Quack was quickly running out of money. The company’s management team had just returned from a road show for a second round of venture financing, but they had been unsuccessful. To exacerbate this issue, Quack’s two major competitors had each received substantial funding. At the current burn rate, Quack could survive on its bridge financing for only three more months. Moreover, after the first few months of running the voice portal, Quack’s business-to-consumer model for voice portals was already showing signs of weakness. Quack’s management believed the failure of its road show could be related to its B2C focus. The company was facing many major decisions that would reshape and dictate the future of the firm. This case deals with the possible options for new strategic direction.