PSG over the sky!

ProHub Comment

This is a structured growth strategy case requiring the candidate to diagnose a revenue decline problem, identify the root cause (retail credit cards bleeding $500M annually due to competitor loyalty programs), and quantify a targeted solution. The case tests both strategic thinking (market segmentation analysis) and quantitative skills (bottom-up market sizing with multiple assumptions).

Estimated Time 27 minutes
Difficulty Medium
Source Duke
10 / 100
Your client is PSG - a Latin American private bank. It is one of the oldest banks within the region and, despite continuous growth throughout the years, its revenues have been constantly declining the past five years. The CEO of PSG is worried and has called you and your team to help her reverse this trend.

Clarifying Information

  1. Client/Company information: Company presence in most Latin American countries. Not interested in expanding to other regions.
  2. Industry/Competition information: PSG has two types of competitors. Other large and also “traditional” banks and smaller “start-up” banks, with increasing presence in retail spaces. The latter are seen as an important thread due to important product innovation, especially in credit card products and incentives.
  3. Value Chain/Revenue information: PSG divides its operations in Retail (personal credit cards, personal loans), Commercial (small, medium and large firms products) and Products and Markets (Trading, project finance, forex, derivatives). We will not focus on deposits.
  4. Objective: PSG had yearly revenues of around $10B in 2005. The strategy team has determined that it can invest $500M per year for two years to reverse the observed continuous decline in income of 2% per year. By “reverse”, the CEO means to have at least no decline: forecasts project a similar decline the next two years. Profit margins (in %) have remained constant.
Mock Interview
Interviewer

Your client is PSG - a Latin American private bank. It is one of the oldest banks within the region and, despite continuous growth throughout the years, its revenues have been constantly declining the past five years. The CEO of PSG is worried and has called you and your team to help her reverse this trend.

You

Thanks. Before analyzing, I'd like to clarify a few key questions...

Interviewer

Good question. Let me provide some background information...

You

Based on this, I suggest analyzing from these dimensions...

AI Score
Structure Analysis Communication Business Sense Quantitative
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PSG Bank faces a 2% annual revenue decline despite being established. Analysis reveals the retail credit card segment is the critical issue, losing $500M/year to competitors offering airline miles loyalty programs. The recommended solution is a targeted loyalty program costing $312M annually to retain customers, which falls within the $500M budget and achieves the objective.

Key Insights:

  1. Diagnose at the segment level: The retail segment declined 10% annually while commercial grew 9%, identifying the true problem source
  2. Focus on ‘So What’: The case emphasizes linking market sizing calculations back to business objectives—stopping the $500M credit card loss achieves the overall 2% decline reversal goal
  3. Segment-specific solutions: Rather than company-wide initiatives, a targeted loyalty program addresses the specific competitive threat in credit cards
  4. Quantitative discipline with strategic context: Bottom-up market sizing for the miles program ($312M annually) must be compared against the $500M investment budget and linked to customer retention impact