Course: Generative AI for Business and Creative Professionals Institution: CT State Norwalk Community College Instructor: Mike Behar
This is Case Study 2 for the AI in Business course, focusing on AI-powered customer personalization in retail marketing.
Scenario: TrendSetters Retail, a mid-size fashion retailer, must decide whether to invest in a sophisticated AI marketing personalization platform. The board faces competing pressures: declining revenue, competitive threats, customer privacy concerns, and organizational readiness questions.
Key Decision: Should TrendSetters invest $2.8M over 3 years in an AI personalization platform, or pursue alternative strategies?
- case-study.md: Complete case study with company background, financial data, stakeholder perspectives, and decision options
- blackboard-assignments.md: Pre-meeting assignments for students including analysis questions and AI collaboration prompts
- google-form-voting.md: Voting structure and deliberation guide for board meeting simulation
- ideal-answers.md: Teaching guide with example responses and grading criteria
This case explores:
- Business Strategy: Balancing innovation investment against financial constraints
- Marketing Technology: Evaluating AI personalization platforms and their ROI
- Privacy & Ethics: Customer data usage, consent, and trust considerations
- Organizational Change: Assessing readiness for AI-driven transformation
- Competitive Dynamics: Responding to market pressure while maintaining brand values
Students will:
- Analyze complex business decisions involving AI technology investments
- Evaluate trade-offs between innovation, privacy, and financial performance
- Practice AI collaboration for business analysis and decision support
- Engage in professional deliberation with diverse stakeholder perspectives
- Develop business acumen around marketing technology and customer data
Pre-Meeting Work:
- Students read case study and complete analysis assignments
- Use AI tools to explore personalization technology and privacy implications
- Develop initial position on the decision
Board Meeting Simulation:
- Students role-play as board members deliberating the decision
- AI consultation break allows real-time research during deliberation
- Group votes on recommendation to management
Post-Meeting Reflection:
- Students analyze how their thinking evolved
- Reflect on AI collaboration effectiveness
- Consider lessons for real-world business decisions
Before the board meeting:
- Read case-study.md carefully - note specific numbers and stakeholder arguments
- Complete assignments in blackboard-assignments.md
- Use AI tools thoughtfully to deepen your understanding (not to do your thinking)
- Come prepared to engage with peers who disagree with you
Key principle: This case has no "right answer" - your job is to develop sound business judgment and defend your reasoning with evidence.
See ideal-answers.md for:
- Example high-quality student responses
- Common misconceptions to address
- Grading guidance aligned with course rubrics
- Facilitation tips for productive deliberation
This case is part of a series:
- Case 1: Liberty Regional Bank - AI Loan Screening (algorithmic bias)
- Case 2: TrendSetters Retail - Marketing AI (this case)
- Case 3: [Future case]
All cases emphasize AI collaboration skills and business thinking over domain expertise.
Created: November 27, 2025 Version: 1.0