Executive Summary of Martha Stewart

A critical examination of the case by Martha Stewart indicates the obstacles that exist in
the business of Cannabis in the United States. Notably, the case explains how a Canadian
company got an opportunity to enter the Cannabis market in the U.S. Precisely, the Canadian
company formed a partnership with Martha Stewart, who advocated for the inclusion of new
products. Based on the assessment, the regulations by the government affect the business
operations and profitability, for example, the prohibition of cannabis at the federal level (Wilson,
2021). The efforts to legalize marijuana as a recreational drug in the U.S began in 2012 indeed
had a positive impact on the partnership as the sales volume of their products increased.
The case has many stakeholders involved, including the Canopy Growth Corporation
investors who advocate for the partnership to improve branding and introduce new products.
Also, Martha Stewart is a stakeholder whose intentions aim at improving customers’ health and
wellness by introducing new products and forming a partnership with Canopy to improve her
image. The other stakeholder involved is the government, which regulates the use of Cannabis
and ensures that it is only used to improve the lives of citizens. Additionally, employees are the
other stakeholders in charge of helping the partnership achieve its set goals. Finally, other parties
involved are the distributors who ensure that prices and distribution of CBD products are
efficient to make the business profitable.
A critical examination of the case indicates that the business experienced numerous
problems that required solutions to make the partnership profitable. One of the problems is that
the response from consumers to the new products introduced by Martha is uncertain.
Additionally, numerous barriers exist in the new industry that affect the partnership’s success,

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including government restrictions. Also, had problems determining the target market for the new
products and choosing products to give preference.
Based on the assessment done on the case, the alternatives to address the case issues
included conducting market research, which helps the partnership establish the demographics of
their target market to tailor the new products to meet their needs and tastes. Market research can
be done through questionnaires and interviews of focus groups. Notably, market research was
chosen as an alternative because it helps strengthen the business’s position as knowledge is
power (Kun, 2021). Also, collaboration with other organizations was settled on because it helps
overcome the barriers in the new industry. It is vital to acknowledge that the National Cannabis
Working Group can provide the partnership with vital information to help deal with the barriers
(Larsson & Larsson, 2020). Developing a marketing strategy was suitable as an alternative as it
helps determine the target market and improve the companies’ public image to achieve increased
brand awareness. Remarkably, an excellent market strategy can be developed by considering all
the factors in play in the Cannabis industry.
Notably, the implementation plan of the case is appropriate for resolving the problems
faced by the partnership in the cannabis industry. First, conducting webinars helps create
awareness of the benefits of the new CBD products, which is likely to result in increased sales.
Additionally, the inclusion of testimonials of existing customers on the website of the company
has the effect of attracting more potential customers who are eager to experience the benefits of
using such products (Ayala-Lopez & Nichols, 2020). Also, the testimonials would help improve
both the brand and the organization’s reputation. Also, aligning the operation model with
organizational structure is necessary because it helps improve organizational focus and
efficiency.

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References

Ayala-Lopez, N., & Nichols, J. H. (2020). Benefits and risks of direct-to-consumer testing.
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, 144(10), 1193-1198.
Kun, G. (2021). What are the benefits of market research?
https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/what-are-the-benefits-of-
market-research-company-in-ny/
Larsson, J., & Larsson, L. (2020). Integration, application, and importance of collaboration in
sustainable project management. Sustainability, 12(2), 585.
Wilson, M. (2021). Martha Stewart Cannabis- Overcoming Obstacles. Ivey Publishing, 9.