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KLIIN: Cleaning the World, One Eco-Friendly Product at a Time
Case 9 00 2025 001
Case published in the International Journal of Case Studies in Management, Vol. 23, No. 1
Author : 
Languages : 
  • English
Keywords: 
  • foreign market,
  • SME,
  • international strategy,
  • cleaning products,
  • sustainability
Year of production : 
2025
Registration date : 
2025-03-11
Teaching notes included : 
Yes
Abstract

The case presents Marie-Pierre Bérubé, founder and CEO of KLIIN, as she reflects on her plans to internationalize her company, KLIIN. Founded in 2016 near Montreal, Quebec, KLIIN is dedicated to promoting greener consumption habits by marketing eco-friendly cleaning products such as reusable surface wipes and biodegradable soaps. The case provides an overview of KLIIN’s business model, product offering, and competitive positioning. It highlights the company’s commitment to sustainability, differentiation through innovative design, positioning as a woman-owned business, and reliance on exports as its primary means of entering foreign markets.

Primary domain : 
International business
Secondary domain : 
Management  - SME management
Sectors : 
  • Consumer goods
Source : 
HEC Montréal
Type : 
Traditional case (Decision-making case)
Type of data used in the production of the case : 
Factual data that is not public wherein the identity of the company/person is disclosed
Event location : 
Canada
Year of start of the event : 
2023
Year the event ended : 
2023
Business size : 
Small- and medium-sized
Teaching objectives
  • Understand essential concepts related to international business strategy.
  • Acquire knowledge of the challenges and opportunities associated with the international expansion of SMEs and the concept of “internationalization readiness.”
  • Analyze the context of a young SME, evaluating the relevance of frameworks traditionally designed for multinational enterprises (MNEs).
  • Critically analyze the company’s readiness for further internationalization by assessing its limited resources, reliance on external distributors, and current international successes.
  • Evaluate the attractiveness of various regions and countries using Ghemawat’s (2001) CAGE distance framework and mobilizing recent literature on SME international market selection.
  • Develop well-reasoned recommendations for the company’s internationalization strategy, including selecting the most suitable region and target market.
  • Design an approach to address the challenges of SME internationalization and integrate sustainability considerations (e.g., carbon footprint) into their decision-making process.