Product Overview

A brutal winter storm hits the Baltic Sea region, felling 200 million trees and leaving forest owners and lumber industry competitors devastated. The chairman and majority owner of a large private timber mill in Sweden needs an action plan to pull through the disaster quickly?before the felled timber rots. Will they be able to rescue the timber? How shall his business react to the sudden oversupply? How will the exponentially increased supply be absorbed? What will the short- and long-term effects of the storm on the timber markets be? This case was developed for use in a first-year marketing class on balancing needs, interests, and responsibilities. The material would also work in a class on crisis management.

Learning Objectives

• Encourage students to think critically about crisis containment • Practice stakeholder analysis • Know what, when, how, and to whom to communicate regarding the crisis • Develop an action plan and consider the value of crisis preparation and planning • Understand the value of natural resources to economic well-being and quality of life • Recognize crisis as an opportunity to rebuild with sustainable innovation • Explore marketing environments • Recognize supply chain conflicts in long and short term benefits and learn to manage risks • Appreciate the difference between transaction and relational approaches in business