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The Marketing Manager at South African Breweries (SAB), Trevor Hughes was investigating new strategic approaches to the management of the diversity of the SAB beer market. This diversity extended from those who frequented the upmarket restaurants in Cape Town, to consumers in rural township.The challenge was in determining how best to meet the needs of both an established, sophisticated market, whilst at the same time serving the informal market. Hughes was considering whether to commission the work of an external consultancy, which would research and develop a strategic plan for the management of SAB's market diversity. Hughes had recently hired a consultancy firm to complete a piece of work that he felt had not produced what was initially agreed upon in the brief. Hughes wanted to prevent a repeat failure. He had to address a number of dilemmas: should Hughes commission the research? If he did so, how could he successfully manage the relationship to ensure 'value for money'. How costly, in monetary terms, would a project like this be? How could he be sure of receiving superior research together with the appropriate effective action? What particular items could be written into the brief to ensure this? Hughes pondered over which firm he should hire. Given South Africa's interest in building local skills and expertise, should he give preference to a local firm, or one that had a long history with SAB? Finally, at the end of the project, how could he measure success?