AuroraWater Bottling Margin Recovery: McKinsey-Style Profitability Case Interview
AuroraWater Bottling Margin Recovery is a medium-difficulty McKinsey-style profitability case interview with 8 interviewer questions and 4 exhibits; candidates finish it in a median 23 minutes. Your first full case is free with an account: run it out loud with an AI interviewer or step by step.
| Case type | Profitability |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consumer Packaged Goods / Beverages |
| Firm style | McKinsey |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Interviewer questions | 8: context, clarifying, structure, 3 analysis, math, synthesis |
| Math questions | 1 |
| Exhibits | 4 |
| Modes | Voice and guided |
| Completed runs | 45 |
| Median time | 23 minutes |
| Source | Written by Road to Offer |
Runs, times and ratings are from Road to Offer practice data as of 6 November 2026.
The case
AuroraWater, a regional bottled-water producer, saw EBITDA decline from $65M to $45M between 2023 and 2024 despite modest revenue growth. The CEO wants a clear plan to restore profitability within 12 months without damaging retail relationships.
AuroraWater sells through grocery, convenience, and foodservice channels across the U.S. Southeast. Leadership suspects logistics and promotion intensity are hurting margins but needs a data-backed diagnosis and practical turnaround plan. The target is to recover at least $20M EBITDA in the next fiscal year.
The interviewer's first question
What is the client situation and the core profitability question we need to answer?
Exhibits you will read
- Exhibit 1: Revenue and EBITDA Trend (2022-2024)
- Exhibit 2: Logistics Cost per Liter by Channel ($/L)
- Exhibit 3: EBITDA Bridge 2023 to 2024 ($M)
- Exhibit 4: Cost Stack Comparison ($M)
What this case tests
One math step, four exhibits and three analysis questions: this case is mostly about reading data under time pressure.