Teaching — Bryan Hong

I am a teacher

My competitive strategy courses put my students in the role of real-life CEOs facing actual strategic problems. We explore how all the different aspects of a business, ranging from culture to marketing, can come together to create a competitive advantage over rivals. While many people spend most of their lives working for companies, very few truly understand why their employers perform as well (or as poorly) as they do. I’ve taught students from a wide range of ages and backgrounds, from undergraduates to older working professionals.

I’ve consistently been a top-rated instructor throughout my career. During the beginning of my career at Ivey Business School, I received the David G. Burgoyne Teaching Award for Outstanding Commitment to Student Development, an award given to the two best professors at the school based upon the collective evaluation of the undergraduate student body.

Teaching can be a rewarding job, although sometimes in unpredictable ways. I often wear a tie and sweater while teaching, which inspired one of my classes at Ivey to surprise me by dressing the same way on the last day of the course. The photo on the right is with two of my students on that day.

I am a teacher

I’ve also authored multiple teaching case studies for the business school classroom with my former students and other professors. Below are summaries of each case, examining either a modern-day twist of classic strategic problems or companies that have adopted unique and innovative business models. If you’re an educator, all of them can be found at the Harvard Business Publishing website.

Rocket Internet

Rise of the German Silicon Valley?

Rocket Internet, a unique technology incubator based in Germany, invests in and develops startups in Europe and emerging markets that are versions of successful technology firms primarily located in the United States, such as eBay, Zappos, Amazon and Groupon. Fundamentally, the company seeks to reduce the uncertainty of entrepreneurial startup ventures by imitating proven business models and replicating them in other geographic regions. Rocket Internet has recently begun to expand into emerging markets more aggressively, and its chief executive officer must now decide on the best strategy to continue the firm's global expansion.

The Asylum

Mocking Their Way Through Hollywood

The co-founder and chief executive officer of The Asylum, a movie production company headquartered in Burbank, California, must decide whether the company should explore other avenues for growth or change its current business model to boost profitability. The company has developed a unique imitation strategy to reduce the uncertainty of financial success in filmmaking - its "mockbuster" business model is to produce B-rated movies that use plotlines similar to that of major Hollywood films already in production and release them close to the same time as the comparable Hollywood film. By timing the their releases in this way, they are able to benefit from the large marketing and promotion campaigns of the large film production studios while producing a substantially cheaper film. To date, all mockbusters have been profitable, but changes to property rights regulations and increased litigation risks may ultimately affect the bottom line. There are three options going forward: maintaining the status quo, increasing their focus even more on producing mockbusters, or shifting toward completely original film production.

YG Entertainment

Inside the Korean Pop Music Factory (Part A + B)

YG Entertainment (YG) is the second largest entertainment company in the South Korean pop music (K-pop) industry, and has experienced rapid growth while maintaining a profit margin of over two times the average profitability of top U.S. record labels. The case examines how YG and other K-pop entertainment companies have developed a unique system to produce a competitive advantage in an industry that typically experiences high failure rates and substantial uncertainty regarding the success of artists. The founder and chairman of YG must decide the company's next steps for growth, and whether Japan, China, or the United States will be the most promising for YG's future success. The song "Gangnam Style" was created by YG artist PSY.

First Place Winner, World Asian Case Competition (for casewriting)

Yoyo Wallet

Entering the Mobile Payment Space in the United States

Yoyo Wallet, a technology start-up headquartered in London, United Kingdom, has developed a mobile application for smartphones to facilitate in-store payments and loyalty data collection. Inspired by the success of Starbucks' loyalty-integrated mobile application, Yoyo Wallet aims to become the ultimate tool for retailers in enhancing customer experience. The company plans to enter the mobile payment industry in the United States; however, Yoyo must compete with existing wallets (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Android Pay), navigate through the uncertainty of the industry's future, and adapt their strategy to the competitive environment in the United States.

Paris Baguette

The Expansion Question

In 2014, Paris Baguette was the largest bakery chain in South Korea with 3,200 stores throughout the country and 178 locations in China, Southeast Asia and the United States. Since 1988, the company had vertically integrated with ingredient suppliers and developed its own food processing capability, giving it considerable control over the value chain. In addition, it had developed an innovative franchise arrangement that allowed for improved cash flow from operations. However, in response to domestic market saturation, intense local competition, and a recent change in government regulations, its chief executive officer considers how best to achieve his goal of operating 6,000 stores in 60 countries worldwide and achieving revenue of KRW4 trillion by 2020.