Dog Food

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Case Prompt

Your client is a maker of premium dog food sold exclusively in pet stores and vet clinics. They had $500M in sales this year.

Revenue growth had been steady at about 10% for the past 15 years, but in the last 2 years has declined to 2% annual growth.

The CEO has a target of $800M in sales in three years.

What recommendations would you give in order to achieve this?

Overview

This profitability case is in the Bain case study style. The business situation being presented is one where you have been hired by a maker of premium dog food. Revenue has been slowly declining in recent years, and you have been brought in to advise the client on a) how to stop the decline, and b) bring sales up to $800M in 3 years. It’s not an easy project, but your job is to do a deep-dive into the profitability, determine the root issues of the decline, and finally, give a strong recommendation on how to get sales back up.

The Profitability Framework will help you solve the case, but the best interview candidates move beyond just the basic frameworks. Use your knowledge of the frameworks and build a custom structure that will be most effective in helping you solve the case.

There are several math exhibits for you to interpret in the case. The case has a qualitative difficulty score of 3 out of 4, and is a case you would most likely be given in a Bain final round.

Interview Tips for Bain

What does Bain look for in its future hires? They want candidates who can bring practical solutions to real problems.

When creating a framework for the case, think of how you would assign the different work-streams to a team you are managing on a Bain engagement.

Make it a point to emphasize being structured as you walk through the case. Focus on being clear and concise in your communication.

Need a boost in your case prep? Book an hour with one of MC’s ex-MBB coaches.

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