Introduction

You will analyze three strategic moves Meta has made using different Corporate Performance Management (CPM) tools.

This preparation guide helps you to prepare by locating the data you need—but you must determine which specific figures to extract and how to use them.

Acquisitions & ROI analysis

Find information about one major acquisition (Instagram or WhatsApp), why it was made as well how it has performed:

Data showing how the platform performs today
Metrics that would help you estimate value creation
Growth patterns that help you to make predictions about growth after the acquisition
Information needed to discount future cash flows

Further, think about:

How would you estimate value if specific revenue isn’t disclosed separately?
What assumptions do you need to make for a multi-year projection?
How do you account for indirect strategic benefits?
What makes an acquisition “successful” from a performance management perspective?

Possible sources:

AI/AGI investment

Research data about major AI infrastructure and AGI research investments:

Evidence of how much Meta is spending on AI/AGI
Trends showing whether investment is increasing, stable, or decreasing (over the last 3 years)
Metrics that might show whether AI investments are generating returns
Both financial and non-financial performance data
Evidence of operational improvements or strategic advantages

Further, think about:

Which metrics best indicate whether AI investments are “working”?
How do you distinguish between short-term costs and long-term strategic positioning?
What evidence would convince you these investments are paying off?
How long should you wait before judging ROI on this type of investment?

Possible sources:

Reality Labs

Research about the VR/AR hardware and metaverse platform development at meta:

Financial results for the Reality Labs business segment
Trends over recent quarters/years
Information that helps you understand the gap between current state and profitability
Factors that could close that gap (revenue growth, cost reduction, or both)
Management commentary on expectations and timeline
Market dynamics affecting this business

Further, think about:

Is break-even the right way to evaluate a “moonshot” investment?
What’s more realistic to quickly achieve break-even: dramatic revenue increase or significant cost reduction?
How do you balance long-term strategic value against short-term financial losses?

Possible sources:

Balanced Scorecard

Research on the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) performance management framework and gather relevant evidence for each BSC perspective (FY 2025) using the sources checked so far.

Further, think about:

Which perspectives show strength and which show weakness?
How should different perspectives be weighted given Meta’s strategy?
What does “good performance” mean for a company making multi-billion dollar long-term bets?
How would you use this BSC to guide future resource allocation decisions?

Final notes

Read critically:

Management emphasizes positives—look for what’s not said
Compare trends over time, not just absolute numbers
Note which metrics management chooses to highlight

Document your approach:

Track which sources you used for which data points
Be ready to explain your assumptions and estimations
Note what’s disclosed vs. what you had to estimate

It is not about perfection:

This is real-world analysis with real-world constraints. You won’t find perfect data for everything. Part of the learning is determining:

What’s good enough to make a reasonable analysis
What assumptions are justified
How to communicate uncertainty in your findings
How to make informed judgments despite incomplete information

The goal of the case study is not finding “the right answer”—it’s demonstrating sound analytical thinking and appropriate use of CPM tools.