Publications

10 Jun 2002
Research & Ideas

Disruption: The Art of Framing

potential shared resources. Johnson & Johnson has done this effectively with many of its health care companies—acquiring separate platforms of growth and leaving them largely independent. Knight Ridder and the Tribune Company have done this with some success in the... View Details

Keywords: by Clark Gilbert & Joseph L. Bower

December 2023 (Revised February 2024)
Case

21Seeds: Taking Shots at Breakout Growth

By: Elie Ofek, Julian De Freitas, Michael Moynihan and Nicole Tempest Keller

21Seeds, a female-founded flavor-infused tequila startup launched in 2019, had made inroads into the alcoholic beverage industry by focusing on an underserved consumer segment in spirits—women, primarily in their 30s and 40s, many of whom were moms—and by following a... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Product Positioning; Distribution Channels; Sales; Food and Beverage Industry

December 1998 (Revised December 1999)
Case

Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Private Client Services

By: Thomas J. DeLong, David M. Darst, Ann K Rusher and Catherine M. Conneely

The 1997 merger of retail giant Dean Witter and investment bank Morgan Stanley was a year old when Bob Sculthorpe was appointed director of Private Client Services (PCS) at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter (MSDW). The firm was still operating under two separate broker-dealer... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Divisions; Investment Banking; Brands and Branding; Salesforce Management; Competitive Strategy; Retail Industry

07 Dec 2016
Blog Post

Marketing Reimagined: A Recap of the 2016 Marketing Innovation Conference

memorable take-a-ways came out of the session. For example, Matt Taylor, CEO of Tracksmith and Becca Freeman of LOLA shared the power of earned media for early-stage startups. Several of the panelists also addressed paid media; efforts can be successful but close... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment / Media / Sports

Web

Building and Sustaining a Successful Enterprise - Course Catalog

of success? To what extent do commonly used performance metrics kill innovation, and how can we develop metrics that encourage new growth? Can acquisitions become a pathway to new capabilities? Should we integrate acquired companies or... View Details

01 Dec 1999
News

The Message and the Media: Advertising's Brave New World

On the regulatory front, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and a relaxation of restrictions on multiple ownership of media outlets are realigning and consolidating the power of media ownership. Lastly, in the economic arena, a wave of mergers and View Details

Keywords: Peter K. Jacobs

August 2017
Case

Turkish Economy Bank and Fortis Bank: Managing a Complex Merger

By: Stuart C. Gilson, Esel Çekin and Sarah L. Abbott

Following the announcement of the merger of the Turkish Economic Bank (TEB) and Fortis Bank AS, Varol Civil, TEB's CEO, is faced with the task of executing the merger of these two entities. First, all parties must agree to the economic terms of this merger; a process... View Details

Keywords: M＆A; Turkey; Banking; Restructuring; Financial Institutions; Change Management; Mergers and Acquisitions; Banking Industry; Turkey

December 2014
Article

The Real Product Market Impact of Mergers

By: Albert Sheen

I document sources of value creation in mergers by analyzing novel data on the quality and price of goods sold by merging firms. When two competitors in a product market merge, their products converge in quality, and prices fall relative to the competition. These... View Details

Keywords: Value Creation; Quality; Price; Goods and Commodities; Mergers and Acquisitions

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December 1996 (Revised June 2003)
Case

Cynthia Hogan and the Birth of Novartis

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter

An American woman heads an integration office for merger transition activities between two giant Swiss pharmaceutical companies. She needed to develop an implementation plan to shape the new global powerhouse. View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Global Strategy; Organizational Design; Strategic Planning; Pharmaceutical Industry; Switzerland; United States

Profile

Suchita Prasad

responsibility for training and development, talent acquisition and labor negotiations. Coming to HBS has truly been transformative for me. I have gained an insight into business as a way of life. I had focused so much on the single silo... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Manufacturing

01 Oct 1999
News

Eight Among Many: Kenneth A. Goldman

Excite@Home's acquisitions and partnerings with the many cable, computer, and media companies necessary to create its new platinum-paved info highway, Goldman has been heading some of the most interesting high-tech dealmaking going on... View Details

Keywords: Marguerite Rigoglioso

01 Oct 2000
News

Mario A. Corti: Global Reconnaissance

defining Web-based standards for global commerce. Last spring, amid a flurry of acquisitions by competitors, Corti didn't rule out similar moves by Nestlé. "But for the most part," he notes, "we are in the areas where we want to compete,... View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons

01 Aug 2001
News

J. Ronald Fox (MBA '59)

resumed his academic career at HBS and completed the first of several influential books, Arming America, an exploration of the military weapons acquisition process. After leaving the faculty in 1972 to immerse himself in a successful... View Details

Keywords: Alumni Achievement Award; J. Sterling Livingston; George P. Baker; Government

February 2015 (Revised November 2015)
Supplement

Building an Integrated Biopharma Company: Crucell (B)

By: Richard G. Hamermesh, Marianne Van Der Steen and Susan Harmeling

The Crucell (B) case updates events at Crucell since 2009. In September, 2009, Johnson & Johnson acquired 18% of Crucell for $400 million. This investment was part of a business development deal. Subsequently, in 2012, Johnson & Johnson acquired Crucell for $2.8... View Details

Keywords: Biotechnology; Biopharmacy Company; Licensing Agreements In Biopharmacy; Licensing; Human Cell-line Technology; Vaccine; Healthcare Innovation; Global Health; Entrepreneurship; Health Care and Treatment; Acquisition; Innovation and Invention; Biotechnology Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry

October 2008 (Revised October 2008)
Case

Lehman Brothers and Peabody Coal

When Texas Utilities Company (TXU) wanted to acquire The Energy Group, the latter needed to spin-off its coal mining assets, Peabody Coal, to avoid running afoul of antitrust authorities. In this case, TXU's investment banker, Lehman Brothers, considers whether to... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Investment Banking; Monopoly; Conflict of Interests; Mining Industry; Utilities Industry

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May 2000
Case

CMGI: Organizational and Market Innovation

By: Josh Lerner

CMGI is considering acquiring yesmail, an e-mail marketing firm. In assessing the potential acquisition, it must assess the fit with its own organization, which consists of a unique blend of venture capital investments and publicly traded subsidiaries. View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Organizational Structure; Venture Capital; Business Subsidiaries

May 1993 (Revised June 2004)
Case

PepsiCo Bottling in Mexico

By: Kenneth A. Froot

This case describes Pepsico's program to restructure its Mexican bottling network. It wants to work with existing bottlers and find an organizational arrangement that will allow the bottlers to grow and change with the Mexican soft drink industry. View Details

Keywords: Bottling; Mergers and Acquisitions; Joint Ventures; Multinational Firms and Management; International Finance; Valuation; Programs; Organizational Design; Food and Beverage Industry; Mexico

January 2013
Case

Zappos.com 2009: Clothing, Customer Service, and Company Culture (MM)

By: Frances X. Frei and Robin J. Ely

On July 17, 2009, Zappos.com, a privately-held online retailer of shoes, clothing, and other soft-line retail categories, learned that Amazon.com, a $19 billion multinational online retailer, had won its Board of Directors' approval to offer to merge the two companies.... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Internet and the Web; Mergers and Acquisitions; Organizational Culture; Growth and Development Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry