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Brazil's dog-food market, for a European premium brand

You run the case. Read the prompt, answer questions from the notes below, and share data only when the candidate asks for it or gets stuck. Score at the end.

Case timer

00:00

Target length:

1. Read the prompt aloud

Read it slowly, then pause. Let the candidate ask questions before they structure.

A European premium dog-food maker asks you to describe Brazil's dog-food market and say whether it should enter, and in which part of the market it should compete.

Format note: Candidate-led: you choose the lenses (customers, players, value chain, trends), ask for the numbers, and give a point of view; the interviewer answers what you ask. The interviewer's figures are rounded and illustrative.

2. Answers to clarifying questions

Give these answers only if the candidate asks. If they ask something not listed, give a sensible answer or say it does not matter here.

If asked: What decision is behind the question?
Answer: A European maker of premium dog food wants to know whether Brazil is worth entering, and in which part of the market.
If asked: Dogs only, or cats too?
Answer: Dogs only, for now.
If asked: Should I size by value or volume?
Answer: Both, in Brazilian reais (BRL) for this year.

3. The hypothesis a strong candidate states

Listen for an early, testable guess like this one. It does not need to match word for word.

Brazil has one of the world's largest dog populations, and many dogs still eat home-cooked food. My hypothesis is that the market is large and still shifting to commercial food, and that the premium segment is growing fastest, which suits the client.

4. A model structure

Compare the candidate's structure with this one. A different split can be just as good if it is clean and fits the problem.

Size, segments, trends, and the so-what for a premium brandThis comes from market value = dogs x share fed commercial food x kg per dog x price, split into premium and economy.
- Size: dogs x share fed commercial food x kg x price
- Key: Segments: premium versus economy, by volume and value
- Trends: move to commercial food, premium growth, online and pet-shop channels

5. The working, step by step

Each step shows how a strong candidate works it out. Share a new fact from it only when the candidate asks or is stuck, and let them do the math: the result in the dark box is what they should reach.

Step 1: Dogs fed commercial food
What a strong candidate does: Candidate: "How many dogs, and how many eat bought food?" Interviewer: "About 55 million dogs; about half eat mostly commercial food."
Dogs fed commercial food: 55,000,000 × 0.5 = 27,500,000
Step 2: Volume
What a strong candidate does: Interviewer: "A dog eats about 100 kg of commercial food a year on average."
Volume (kg a year): 55,000,000 × 0.5 × 100 = 2,750,000,000
Step 3: Value
What a strong candidate does: Candidate: "What is the average price?" Interviewer: "About BRL 12 per kg across all segments." Candidate: "So the market is worth about BRL 33 billion a year."
Market value (BRL a year): 55,000,000 × 0.5 × 100 × 12 = 33,000,000,000
Step 4: Premium share of value
What a strong candidate does: Interviewer: "Premium food is 20 percent of volume at about BRL 30 per kg; the rest averages BRL 7.50." Candidate: "Then premium is a fifth of volume but half of value."
Premium share of value (%): 0.2 × 30 ÷ (0.2 × 30 + 0.8 × 7.5) × 100 = 50
Step 5: Premium growth
What a strong candidate does: Candidate: "Where are the shares heading?" Interviewer: "In five years, about 60 percent of dogs may eat commercial food, and premium may be 30 percent of volume." Candidate: "Premium volume would grow about 1.8 times, with the dog population flat."
Premium volume growth multiple in 5 years: (0.6 × 0.3) ÷ (0.5 × 0.2) = 1.8
Step 6: Channel shift
What a strong candidate does: Candidate: "Where do owners buy premium food?" Interviewer: "Mostly pet-shop chains, but online grew from 10 to 25 percent of premium sales in three years."
Online share gain (points): 25 - 10 = 15

The recommendation to listen for

At the end, say: "The CEO walks in. What is your recommendation?"

Brazil is attractive for the client, but only in the premium segment and through pet-shop chains and online. First, the dog-food market is about BRL 33 billion a year, and premium food is already half of that value while being only a fifth of the volume. Second, premium volume could grow about 1.8 times in five years as more dogs move to commercial food and owners switch to more expensive food. Third, the channels are shifting: online rose 15 points to a quarter of premium sales in three years, which lowers the cost of reaching owners for a new brand. The next step is to size the costs of importing versus producing locally and to talk to the two largest pet-shop chains.

Risks a strong answer names: A weaker real would make imported premium food more expensive; Local premium brands may already hold the pet-shop shelves; The 60 percent commercial-food figure depends on household incomes rising.

Next steps: Compare the cost of importing with local contract manufacturing; Interview buyers at the two largest pet-shop chains and one online retailer; Check current import and labeling rules for pet food with local advisers.

Strong versus weak

A strong answer

Started from the client's decision, sized the market by value and volume, split premium from economy, and turned the trends into a clear view on where to compete.

A weak answer

Described Brazil's economy and every pet-food brand in detail, gave no size, and ended with "it is a big market with potential."

Score the candidate

Score each criterion from 1 to 5. A 2 or a 4 sits between the descriptions.

This case has no exhibit. Score Exhibit reading on how the candidate used the data you gave them: did they pick out the number that matters and say what it means?

Structuring

1: No clear structure, or a memorized framework that does not fit the problem.
3: A sensible structure, but with some overlap, a gap, or no clear priority.
5: A structure built for this problem, with no overlap and no gaps, a stated hypothesis, and a clear first step.

Math

1: Frequent errors, no units, or needed heavy help to finish.
3: Right answers but slow or messy working, or one error caught late.
5: Accurate and clearly narrated, with units, a sense check, and what the number means.

Exhibit reading

1: Read the chart aloud without finding the number that matters.
3: Found the key number but gave only part of the so-what.
5: Pulled the right number quickly and said what it means for the case.

Synthesis

1: Summarized what was done, with no clear answer.
3: Gave an answer, but with weak reasons or no next step.
5: Answer first, then two or three reasons with numbers, the main risk, and next steps.

Communication

1: Hard to follow: long silences, no signposting.
3: Clear most of the time, with some rambling.
5: Calm and concise, signposted each step, and checked in with the interviewer.

Total

0 out of 25

Score all five criteria to see the band and the feedback template.