A business expansion avenue emerged for Meorient following the shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. With precautionary measures and travel restrictions severely limiting offline (in-person) exhibitions globally, Meorient harnessed digital infrastructure to launch a digital exhibitions platform. To facilitate business growth in the face of substantial uncertainty and establish a global competitive edge, Meorient needed to promptly devise strategies to launch and facilitate the online exhibitions platform, and had to convince exhibitors and buyers to embrace its innovative digital products.
Meorient: Critical Choices on the Road to Digital Transformation
Wei Lyu, Miaowen Hu, Jiaqing Zhao, Kun Lyu, Tianhan Yin, Kirk Kristofferson
Product #:W37333
Supplier:Ivey
Discipline:International Business, Marketing
Setting:United Arab Emirates, United States, China, 2023
Subjects:
Your Price:$10.54
Purchase this material with a free Educator Account and enjoy more benefits:
- Free Educator Copy
- Free Teaching Notes
- Build your coursepack
- Discounted academic price
Learning Objectives
This case can be used in strategic management and marketing management courses and modules at the MBA and executive MBA levels. It can also be used in digital marketing and business-to-business (B2B) courses at undergraduate and graduate levels.
This case aims to guide students through the past, present, and future of Meorient, and to demonstrate how embracing a digital strategy created a significant competitive advantage in a conventional industry and allowed the company to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger and poised for growth. Through in-depth analysis of Meorient’s business model and development strategy, this case helps students understand the core value proposition of the exhibitions industry and demonstrate how to choose and adjust a digital strategy in a rapidly changing market environment. Moreover, the case provides insight into how the modern service industry can continuously enhance value for both exhibitors and business consumers through digital transformation. Through the case analysis and discussion, students will learn how digitalization can be integrated with strategic analysis tools—including PEST; Business Model Canvas; the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions industry operations model; strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT); vision, strategy, organization, and digital technology (VSOT) digital upgrading and transformation framework; and value, scarcity, irreplaceability, and organization (VRIO).
After analyzing the case and working through the assignment questions, students will have the opportunity to:
- Gain insights into the origin and evolution of exhibitions enterprises in tandem with China’s economic development.
- Analyze Meorient’s digital transformation journey, examine the characteristics of each phase, and understand how digital technology and the core business complemented each other throughout the company’s evolution.
- Explore factors influencing the company’s response to emergencies, emphasizing how Meorient seized opportunities during critical moments.
- Acknowledge the significance of modern service enterprises adapting their product strategy and business models in dynamic environments, delving into how Meorient formed and sustained its core competitiveness.