Publications

02 Apr 2013
First Look

First Look: April 2

abstract available. Purchase this case: http://hbr.org/search/813160-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 513-090 Juan Valdez: Innovation in Caffeination Corporate entrepreneurs attempt to revive Colombia's famous Juan Valdez brand in the... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

21 Jul 2008
Research & Ideas

Solving the Marketing Resources Allocation Puzzle

to create a framework to help managers think about their allocation challenges. The result was published in a recent paper, "Allocating Marketing Resources". Brand managers can be confronted with a complex, daunting task, the authors... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

13 May 2014
First Look

First Look: May 13

eligible for a discount on the purchase price conditional on their achieving the sales targets set by the franchisor. We show that car dealers (franchisees) who exclusively deal in cars of the brand offered by the franchisor receive... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

13 Apr 2010
First Look

First Look: April 13

case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/910017-PDF-ENG Transforming ASUSTeK: Breaking from the Past Willy Shih, Ho Howard Yu, and Hung-Chang ChiuHarvard Business School Case 610-041 What happens when an original design manufacturer (ODM) firm tries to transform... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

21 Jun 2011
First Look

First Look: June 21

Maddalena Hotel & Yacht Club in north Sardinia, pose a branding challenge. Can all the properties, including the Forte Village, be successfully brought under one umbrella brand, namely, Eleganzia? Moreover, what should the character... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

02 Feb 2010
First Look

First Look: Feb. 2

manage an online community for the sole purpose of fostering word-of-mouth for a new brand it was launching. Should Communispace take on this assignment? Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/510018-PDF-ENG Hulu: An... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

15 Sep 2009
First Look

First Look: September 15

Tang Harvard Business School Case 410-018 Shanghai Tang is a luxury brand that focuses on Chinese-inspired fashion, accessories, and home decoration products. In fall 2008, amidst a growing global economic crisis, Raphael Ie Masne,... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

09 Jan 2013
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Understanding Customers

product. How Can I Understand My Customers Better? Empathy: The Brand Equity of Retail Retailers can offer great product selection and value, but those who lack empathy for their customers are at risk of losing them, says professor Ananth... View Details

Keywords: Re: Multiple Faculty

June 2011 (Revised May 2012)
Case

Reckitt Benckiser: Fast and Focused Innovation

By: Rebecca M. Henderson and Ryan Johnson

Since its 1999 merger Reckitt Benckiser (RB), a global consumer goods company, led by its CEO Bart Becht, RB developed a reputation for rapid product innovation and industry leading profit margins. RB's stated strategy was to focus on its Powerbrands and high growth... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Global Strategy; Innovation Leadership; Leadership Style; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Product Development; Performance Improvement; Commercialization; Consumer Products Industry

September 2008 (Revised October 2008)
Case

Marc Abrahams: Annals of an Improbable Entrepreneur

By: Boris Groysberg and Michael Slind

Marc Abrahams was a media entrepreneur who specialized in science humor. In 2008, he sought to boost the scale and monetization potential of his business. That business, called Improbable Research, encompassed a magazine (Annals of Improbable Research), a high-profile... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Selection and Staffing; Human Capital; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Personal Development and Career

Find at Harvard

October 2000 (Revised November 2005)
Case

Hilton HHonors Worldwide: Loyalty Wars

By: John A. Deighton and Stowe Shoemaker

Hilton Hotels regards the frequent guest program as the industry's most important marketing tool, directing marketing efforts at the heavy user. What is Hilton to do then, when a competitor ups the ante? This case illustrates the economics of frequency marketing in... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Brands and Branding; Competitive Strategy; Accommodations Industry

November 1991
Case

Magic Johnson: Endorsements ""After""...?

By: Stephen A. Greyser

On Thursday, November 7, 1991, Los Angeles Lakers star Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced his retirement from basketball in the wake of having tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Magic Johnson was one of the most popular figures in sports, both... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Value; Sports; Advertising; Alliances; Problems and Challenges; Decision Choices and Conditions; Brands and Branding; Consumer Products Industry; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

29 Jan 2014
Research & Ideas

Super Bowl Ads for Multitaskers

a particular task-for example, announcing a semiannual sale starting the following day. The other two types of ads focus on image, building up the perception of the brand rather than exhorting a consumer to purchase. Imagery-focused ads... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Advertising; Sports

20 Nov 2012
First Look

First Look: November 20

structure, explore three alternatives using debt finance, and determine the optimal debt-to-capital ratio. Purchase this case:http://hbr.org/search/913517-PDF-ENG Yum! Brands Jordan Siegel and Christopher PoliquinHarvard Business School... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

29 Oct 2013
First Look

First Look: October 29

complete. The local was never entirely subsumed by the global. Convergence and homogenization were stronger in aspirations than in preferences for particular products and scents, which remained more persistently local despite the spread of global View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

19 Jan 2022
In Practice

7 Trends to Watch in 2022

transfer ownership to assets like digital art and music tracks, and also help make it clear who the owners are, so they can coalesce into communities. Moreover, NFTs are programmable—which makes it possible to expand their features and value over time. Now mainstream... View Details

Keywords: by HBS News

31 Oct 2004
Research & Ideas

Bypass Marketing: Are Docs Influenced?

brand over another based on their patients' requests? A recent study, Physicians Report on Patient Encounters Involving Direct to Consumer Advertising, focused on one aspect of pharma DCTA: What do physicians think about all of this? What... View Details

Keywords: by Manda Salls

February 2014 (Revised August 2014)
Case

The Michelin Restaurant Guide: Charting a New Course

By: Mukti Khaire, Elena Corsi and Jerome Lenhardt

Created in 1900 by the tire manufacturer Michelin, the Michelin Restaurant Guide was widely considered the international benchmark of food rating, and, by 2013, boasted paper editions in 23 countries, and had recently expanded to the United States and Asia. Paper sales... View Details