Publications

14 Nov 2005
Research & Ideas

How Can Start Ups Grow?

entrepreneurs everywhere. Sarah Jane Gilbert: How did you first become interested in studying growth in newly founded firms and young organizations? Mukti Khaire: Only one out of every ten newly founded... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Advertising

June 1985
Case

Henkel Group: Umbrella Branding and Globalization Decisions

By: Robert J. Dolan

Henkel's adhesive group is considering a major change in the international selling of its two major adhesives products for households. The proposed strategy is based on two concepts: umbrella branding and global standardization. View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Globalization; Expansion; Consumer Products Industry

November 2019
Supplement

Gillette: Cutting Prices to Regain Share

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Daniel Fisher

After losing market share to low-priced competitors such as Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club for several years, Gillette decided to fight back by cutting prices on its razors and blades in April 2017. Bonnie Herzog, an equity analyst at Wells Fargo, must assess how the... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Product Positioning; Business Strategy; Competition; Price; Public Equity; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States

02 Nov 2010
First Look

First Look: November 2, 2010

choose which mobile development software platform to invest in. Written from the perspective of an established consumer bank that is about to commence development on its first downloadable application for... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

21 Feb 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research: February 21

of Macy’s senior team were rethinking the company’s approach to serving millennial customers, customers born between the years of 1980 and 2000. To tackle this challenge, a dedicated millennial team was... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

30 Sep 2013
Research & Ideas

Do Mergers Hurt Product Quality?

There's a lot of worry afoot whenever companies merge. Wall Street worries about the stock price. Employees worry about potential job cuts. And consumers worry about the fate View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Consumer Products

May 2021
Case

Endeavor Kenya: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

By: Lynda M. Applegate, Shikhar Ghosh and Christian Godwin

In 2016, Fiona Mungai became Endeavor Kenya’s first managing director. In this role, she helped the organization build its inaugural board and select its first Endeavor entrepreneur, a fintech company called Cellulant. Throughout this process, Mungai observed the power... View Details

26 Jun 2019
Research & Ideas

Why the US-China Tariff Standoff Hurts American Companies More

affected by the retaliation tariffs started falling by 5 percent, on average. US retailers partially absorbed the tariffs. In-progress analyses of retail prices show more heterogeneity, with some retailers passing higher import costs to... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Retail; Manufacturing; Steel

April 2012
Case

Introducing iSnack 2.0: The New Vegemite

By: Anat Keinan, Francis Farrelly and Michael Beverland

Vegemite is an iconic Australian breakfast spread and is often seen as a quintessential Australian product. This case focuses on Kraft's decision to revitalize brand performance through the introduction of a brand extension. Drawing on extensive social media analysis... View Details

Keywords: Food; Product Launch; Conflict and Resolution; Brands and Branding; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

September 1991 (Revised December 1991)
Case

G. Heileman Brewing Co. (A): Power Failure At PowerMaster

By: Stephen A. Greyser

In June 1991, Heileman announced plans to introduce a high-alcohol malt liquor under the name PowerMaster (PM). Although the company claimed PM would be positioned as an upscale product and marketed on the basis of its superior taste, minority advocates and alcohol... View Details

Keywords: Advertising Campaigns; Ethics; Lawfulness; Brands and Branding; Product Positioning; Demand and Consumers; Market Entry and Exit; Food and Beverage Industry

13 Oct 2015
First Look

October 13, 2015

has been shown to improve consumer perceptions of service value, existing theory posits that increased contact between consumers and producers may diminish work performance.... View Details

01 Sep 2015
First Look

First Look -- September 1, 2015

Susanna, Ranjani Krishnan, and Jeffrey M. Wooldridge Abstract—Bounded dependent variables are frequently encountered in settings of interest for accounting researchers. The econometric modeling View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

15 Jun 2010
First Look

First Look: June 15

number of days a loan remains in syndication. Using market-level and cross-sectional variation in time on the market, we find that a shorter syndication period is associated with a lower final interest rate.... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

January 2003 (Revised September 2007)
Background Note

A Note on Racing to Acquire Customers

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann

Examines factors that motivate a firm's race to acquire customers in newly emerging markets and explores conditions under which racing strategies are likely to yield attractive returns. Provides a definition of racing behavior, introduces the notion of an optimal level... View Details

Keywords: Customers; Price Bubble; Network Effects; Emerging Markets; Market Entry and Exit; Behavior; Competition

12 Feb 2013
First Look

First Look: Feb. 12

study the dynamics of multi-round position auctions, considering both the case of exogenous click-through rates and the case in which click-through rates are determined by an endogenous View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

December 1993 (Revised June 2000)
Case

Kochman, Reidt + Haigh, Inc.

By: Richard S. Ruback and Roy Burstin

A small company faces the dilemma of how to finance growth (i.e., internally generated cash flows vs. outside financing sources). An innovative concept positions the company in promoting a niche within the kitchen-cabinet industry and in looking for an optimal way of... View Details

Keywords: Cash Flow; Business Growth and Maturation; Entrepreneurship; Corporate Finance; Growth and Development Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

September 2001 (Revised May 2006)
Case

Webvan

Examines Webvan's operations and the processes by which it delivers groceries that were ordered from the Internet to customers' homes. Recounts Webvan's history from founding through early 2001 and concentrates on the unique approaches to warehousing, delivery,... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Failure; Business Startups; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry