In June 2020, Pop Mart, a 10-year history Chinese trendy toy company achieved market value of US$15 billion, higher than LEGO or Hasbro. Pop Mart toys are not traditional; they are not for kids but for Generation Z. It’s business model uses innovative ways to sell trendy toys. It combines designer toys and blind boxes to provide the feeling of excitement and surprise, uses hidden models, which creates a sense of scarcity and appeals to consumers’ desire to own, and implements a tiered pricing structure to cater to the multi-level needs of its Generation Z consumers. Pop Mart’s dream is to become a Chinese toy company most like Disney.
CATL: Global battery supremacy
Summary
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) was founded in 1999 under the name ATL. Initially, it had no technology of its own, and the founder, ...
Reference
IMD-7-2302
Copyright
©2022
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
CATL
Industry
Automotive, Automobiles;Automotive, Electric Vehicles
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Gojek: Merging with Tokopedia to create a super platform
Summary
GoJek has often been ranked among the most innovative companies in Asia. GoJek, established in Indonesia in 2010, started out as a call center for ...
Reference
IMD-7-2301
Copyright
©2021
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Gojek
Industry
Information Technology, eCommerce;Logistics and Supply Chain, Transportation;Consumer Services;Services
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Pop Mart: LEGO or Disney?
Summary
In June 2020, Pop Mart, a 10-year history Chinese trendy toy company achieved market value of US$15 billion, higher than LEGO or Hasbro. Pop Mart t...
Reference
IMD-7-2303
Copyright
©2021
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Pop Mart
Industry
Consumer Services, Retail
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
SEA: A $140 billion hidden Alibaba?
Summary
Sea Limited, founded in Singapore in 2009, is a consumer internet company. It started out as Garena, a digital entertainment company (like Tencent)...
Reference
IMD-7-2337
Copyright
©2021
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Sea Limited
Industry
Information Technology, Internet;Information Technology, eCommerce;Travel and Leisure, Entertainment
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Shein: Another Amazon or terminator of Zara?
Summary
As an international B2C fast fashion e-commerce platform established in Nanjing, SheIn's business model seems to be more superior than Zara. It is ...
Reference
IMD-7-2298
Copyright
©2021
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Shein
Industry
Consumer Goods, Apparel and Fashion
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Youhualin: Digitizing the supply chain in China
Summary
Youhualin, a Chinese technology company driven by operations research, artificial intelligence and big data technology, provides intelligent decisi...
Reference
IMD-7-2350
Copyright
©2022
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Youhualin Information Technology (Shanghai)
Industry
Information Technology
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Repairing reputational damage: don’t go the way of Boeing
Summary
All organizations should have a plan to secure trust during, after (and even before) a crisis hits. Here are a host of examples, good and bad, to learn from.
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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
The price of innovation: Will Medacta compromise its DNA by embracing robotics?
Summary
Medacta Group SA is a rising star in the orthopedics market, achieving global success through innovative products and techniques, with a particular emphasis on minimally invasive techniques that bring meaningful value to its patients. With its approaches such as Anterior Minimally Invasive Surgery (AMIS) for hip replacement and Kinematic Alignment for knees, Medacta offers high-quality techniques, supporting tools and cutting-edge implants. It also offers personalized surgeon education through the Medacta Orthopedic Research and Education (M.O.R.E.) Institute. Medacta is situated in an evolving landscape, with competitors including Stryker and Zimmer Biomet investing heavily in robotic technologies. Technological advances are being made in data-driven planning tools – including augmented reality – and research institutes are looking for the most advanced solutions as demanded by many hospitals and surgeons. Despite these trends in the industry, Medacta's CEO, Francesco Siccardi has concerns regarding the value of existing robotic systems, noting their lack of proven benefits in patient outcomes or cost reductions, especially in a context of increasing emphasis on value-based care and sustainability. The case explores the opportunities and challenges confronting Medacta as they decide whether to enter the orthopedic robotics market. The company wants to continue to differentiate itself and drive growth in line with its foundational principles of patient care, operational excellence and sustainable innovation. Today, Francesco faces a critical decision around whether now is the time to enter the robotics market and, if so, how Medacta should do so to preserve its culture and stay true to its DNA.
Reference
IMD-2663
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Medacta Group
Industry
Healthcare, Medical Device
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
China's Apparel Sector -Domestic Champions
Summary
China’s apparel sector in 2025 sees local brands rise and global players adapt amid digital, Research & Development, and innovation-led growth.
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
China's pharmaceutical sector - Demographic driven
Summary
Explore how innovation, R&D, and policy reforms are reshaping China’s pharmaceutical sector amid rising healthcare demand and demographic shifts.
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Strategy Meets Execution - Supply Chain
Summary
10 years of exclusive surveys reveal top supply chain strategy challenges—and how tools like AI, ML, and digital twins are reshaping the path forward.
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
4 Key Guidelines for Success - Demystifying AI Use Cases
Summary
Uncover AI use cases and opportunities with 4 clear imperatives that align data with business value. Avoid pitfalls and ask the right questions.
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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Tariff wars: How business leaders can survive and thrive
Summary
Stay ahead in a shifting global economy. Learn how to build resilient supply chains, manage currency risks, and adapt strategies for long-term business success.
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Your company (and your life) in the hands of an AI agent?
Summary
The case study introduces an original way of exploring the many questions and concerns around AI adoption in business. Based on a true story, it discusses the dilemma of AI implementation through Joe, the CIO of ParcelFlow. Joe is getting ready to present his AI strategy to the company's executive committee. Joe is also diabetic and on the morning of his presentation, he receives an AI-powered insulin pump. This is a life-changing event that raises both questions and fears that range from device functionality and safety to data privacy. Joe realizes that at his morning doctor's appointment, he has just gone through the same process that the executive committee is about to experience. Will Joe succeed in convincing the executive committee to transition towards the use of AI agents? To ultimately transform ParcelFlow's operations, Joe knows that answering the committee's concerns is vital. Joe's thoughts span the various stakeholders he needs to convince: Diane - the chief financial officer; Elena - the head of customer experience; Michael - the head of operations; Albert - the chief human resources officer; Robert - the legal counsel; and Lucy - the chief executive officer. Each stakeholder will have their own reservations and worries about the financial implications, customer experience, operational efficiency, workforce impact, legal compliance, and overall benefits of AI. Building trust is key for engaging people in this technological revolution. This can be achieved smoothly and rapidly by understanding, identifying and analyzing what AI is about and what it will do for us or our business. And most importantly, it must be accomplished with an excellent communications strategy.
Reference
IMD-2666
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Industry
Healthcare, Medical Device;Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
People, Culture, and Strategy - The Boards Role
Summary
#post_excerptHannele Jakosuo-Jansson of Neste and Finnair shared key insights on board roles in CEO transitions and culture shifts with IMD’s High Performance Boards program.
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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
AstraPay in Indonesia: Playing the digital payments platform vs. ecosystem game
Summary
This case study explores AstraPay’s journey to become a significant player, despite its latecomer status, in Indonesia’s burgeoning digital payments landscape. Launched in 2018, AstraPay had grown to serve over one million customers, but it faced intense competition from tech-first digital super-apps like GoTo and OVO. Led by Rina Apriana, who became CEO in 2023, AstraPay had to leverage its unique position within Astra International, a vast conglomerate with deep roots in Indonesia’s economy, to differentiate itself. The case first explores the conceptual differences between a platform and an ecosystem. It then considers how AstraPay can leverage Astra International’s unique characteristics to unlock synergies and evolve into an ecosystem. The question is underpinned by considerations on how AstraPay can best leverage its late mover status to compete with established digital first competitors. Finally, the students are encouraged to explore a range of alternative options available to Astra for building its ecosystem by highlighting the pros and cons of each approach against which to assess the final path taken by AstraPay.
Reference
IMD-2650
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
AstraPay
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Financial Services
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications