Publications

October 1992
Case

Charles River Jazz Festival

Charles River Jazz Festival must decide whether to press a compact disk (CD) of Friday's jazz performance for sale on Saturday and Sunday. The idea to press CDs is novel, so there is considerable uncertainty about how receptive customers will be. The festival must... View Details

Keywords: Mathematical Methods; Decision Making

January 2025
Case

Jaipur Literature Festival 2024

By: Tarun Khanna and Kanika Jain

The Jaipur Literature Festival had evolved from a modest gathering in 2006 into one of the world’s most significant literary events. It was known for its principle of egalitarian access, allowing people from various social backgrounds to come together and engage with... View Details

Keywords: Arts; Cultural Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Business or Company Management; Media; Business Strategy; Expansion; Profit; Product Positioning; Asia; South Asia

25 Jan 2013
News

Studying India's Maha Kumbh Mela Festival

May 2017 (Revised November 2019)
Case

The Dubai International Film Festival

By: Rohit Deshpandé and Alpana Thapar

This case follows the conception and emergence of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). In an already crowded and highly competitive industry, Abdulhamid Juma was attempting to define and establish a unique brand positioning for DIFF. Committed to its vision,... View Details

Keywords: Brand Positioning; Underdog Brand Building; Business Models; Non-profit; Managing Multiple Stakeholders; Film Entertainment; Brands and Branding; Business Model; Competitive Strategy; Decision Making; Growth and Development Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry

May 2019
Teaching Note

The Dubai International Film Festival

By: Rohit Deshpandé and Nathaniel Schwalb

Teaching Note for HBS No. 517-110. View Details

Awards

Slide and A/V Productions Competition Award

International Film and TV Festival of New York, Finalist, Film, Video, Slide and A/V Productions Competition, 1991. View Details

18 Jun 2013
News

Megahit Marketing

April 2023 (Revised May 2024)
Case

The Venice Biennale

By: Rohit Deshpandé and Elena Corsi

La Biennale of Venice, which organized festivals in different disciplines, pondered how to remain relevant in front of fading boundaries across arts. View Details

Keywords: Arts; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Cultural Entrepreneurship; Italy

06 Oct 2016
News

The Munich Oktoberfest: From Local Tradition to Global Capitalism

29 Sep 2016
Video

Oktoberfest: Making Money Off of Tradition

09 Apr 2008
News

Happy Birthday, Harvard Business School

July 2003
Case

Day Aristotle Went Missing, The: A Parable

Aristotle disappears during a festival in his honor. The citizens of Athens use various representations of Aristotle to find him. Sets off a discussion of which theories are most realistic, complex, and useful. View Details

Keywords: Management; Theory

Find at Harvard

06 Oct 2016
Cold Call Podcast

The Munich Oktoberfest: From Local Tradition to Global Capitalism

Keywords: Re: Juan Alcacer; Tourism

30 May 2014
Blog Post

Harvard Business School Class of 2014 graduates answer, "Where are you going next?"

Yesterday, 901 HBS students walked across the stage on Baker Lawn to accept their diplomas. From Sal Kahn’s speech during Class Day to Aretha Franklin belting out the National Anthem in Harvard Yard, the festivities were filled with... View Details

March 2017 (Revised March 2019)
Case

Ant Financial (A)

By: Feng Zhu, Ying Zhang, Krishna G. Palepu, Anthony K. Woo and Nancy Hua Dai

Headquartered in Hangzhou (China), Ant Financial has grown into a fintech “Unicorn.” The fintech empire that the company established spanned verticals such as mobile and online payment (Alipay), money market fund (Yu’e Bao), wealth management (Ant Fortune),... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Global Strategy; Finance; Opportunities; Financial Services Industry; Technology Industry

July 2020 (Revised July 2023)
Case

Live Nation and Pharrell Williams

By: Anita Elberse and Kate Christensen

“We’re in business together, and whether we lose a few million dollars or make a few million dollars, let’s do this. If you think you can pull it off, I’m behind you.” Michael Rapino, chief executive officer of Live Nation, the world’s leading live entertainment... View Details

Keywords: Music; Entertainment; Superstars; Talent; Labor Economics; General Management; Music Entertainment; Media; Talent and Talent Management; Joint Ventures; Marketing; Strategy; Music Industry

15 Jul 2014
Blog Post

Discovering a new organization and state as an intern

festival / charity event / bike ride every single day for the whole summer! I’m thankful that Walmart is helping us get to know the Northwest Arkansas area while we’re there, since they understand that not every MBA student is clamoring... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products / Retail

October 2019 (Revised February 2023)
Case

Gupta Media: Performance Marketing in the Digital Age

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Courtney Han

Gupta Media is a Digital Marketing firm started in 2005 that places advertisements and marketing promotions for its clients in digital media, mainly social media such as Facebook and Google. Over the years it had built its expertise in promoting music labels, artists... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Digital Marketing; Performance; Measurement and Metrics; Social Media; Advertising Industry

2015
Chapter

Government and the Minimalist Platform: Business at the Kumbh Mela

By: John D. Macomber and Tarun Khanna

India's Kumbh Mela, a religious festival occurring once every 12 years at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, attracts over 80 million pilgrims to a temporary "pop-up megacity" over the course of two months. A team of faculty and students from five Harvard... View Details

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