April 17, 2025. Shanghai - CEIBS has once again demonstrated its academic excellence in case development and teaching with two cases winning top category awards at the 2024 EFMD Case Writing Competition.

CEIBS Professor of Marketing Wang Yajin and Senior Case Researcher Zhu Qiong picked up the Family Business category award for their case entitled Himo: A New Breed in China’s Photography Industry. Meanwhile, a case entitled Step Out – How Semir Garment Explored Its Internationalisation by CEIBS Professor of Management Jean Lee, Professor of Marketing Wang Yajin, Research Assistant Zheng Fu, and Senior Case Researcher Zhao Liman, took home the top prize in the Belt-and-Road category.

Himo: A New Breed in China’s Photography Industry

This case spotlights Himo, the Chinese photography brand with the largest number of stores across the country. Founded in 2015 in Hangzhou offering ID photo services, in just eight years the company has expanded to over 600 locations in more than 80 cities across China. Guided by the goal of providing “light, fast, and simple” experiences for young consumers, the brand redefines traditional photography through standardised operations, earning it recognition as a “new breed” of company in the photography industry.

The case explores how emerging Chinese brands are redefining traditional service industries through business model innovation, AI-enabled operations, and a delicate balance between standardisation and personalisation. The case has proven highly effective in the classroom, sparking deep discussions around strategic decision-making, consumer insights, and service design.

“It is a great honour to receive this award. Himo Group’s case demonstrates how local Chinese startups can blaze a new trail even within traditional industries through reshaping consumer value, business models, and organisational capabilities,” the authoring team said in a shared statement.

“Amid global uncertainty and rising trade tensions, more and more Chinese companies are shifting from ‘manufacturing’ to ‘branding’, and from ‘efficiency’ to ‘experience’. I hope this case will not only serve as a valuable teaching resource, but also spark deeper discussions on value innovation, organisational alignment, and understanding of next-generation consumers,” Prof. Wang added.

Step Out – How Semir Garment Explored Its Internationalisation

The Semir case traces the internationalisation efforts of Zhejiang Semir Garment Co., Ltd., a leading Chinese garment company with two major brands - Semir and Balabala. Founded in 1996, this family business has faced intense domestic competition and evolving consumer preferences, prompting it to explore international markets via both franchising and direct sales models in regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Hong Kong.

The case highlights the delicate balance between brand management, operational models, and resource allocation, especially the unique challenges of second-generation leadership succession. Under the leadership of Semir’s second-generation leader Qiu Jianqiang, the company has adopted a cautious yet agile strategy. Designed to spark classroom discussion, the case examines key dimensions such as the replicability of cross-border expansion, cultural adaptability, and leadership transition, encouraging students to reflect on the globalisation strategies of traditional retail enterprises from emerging markets.

“We are honoured to receive this recognition. The Semir case captures the resilient journey of a Chinese family business navigating leadership transition while breaking into ‘Belt and Road’ markets. It reflects not only the collective expertise of the CEIBS case writing team but also the openness of Semir’s executives in sharing their experiences,” the authors said in a team statement.

“The case effectively guided students to deeply explore the complexity and possibility of the internationalisation of Chinese enterprises, helping them understand the theoretical logic and basic framework behind it. I hope that this award will draw more case educators' attention to this case and inspire business practitioners engaged in ‘Belt and Road’ initiatives,” Prof. Lee added.

About the EFMD Case Writing Competition

Established in 1988, the EFMD Case Writing Competition is an annual contest organised by the EFMD and The Case Centre which rewards innovative cases in management development. Each year, more than 400 cases are evaluated on the basis of case quality, teaching notes and innovation, with winners being announced across more than a dozen categories.

CEIBS cases have previously been recognised in the Women in Business and Entrepreneurship categories in 2022, in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Latin American Business Cases categories in 2021, and in the Responsible Leadership category in 2020.

The Family Business category welcomes case studies featuring inter-disciplinary coverage of family business entrepreneurship related issues, while the Belt and Road category welcomes cases on management practices and challenges faced by companies in countries participating in China’s Belt and Road initiative. Read more about the awards here.