Publications

August 1994
Case

Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd.

Describes the introduction of two profit planning and control systems at Kirin as part of its shift from a production-oriented to a consumer-oriented strategy. Specifically, documents Kirin's use of profit centers to increase efficiency and its use of pseudo profit... View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Organizational Structure; Management Systems; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Japan

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January 1997 (Revised March 1998)
Case

Oscar Mayer: Strategic Marketing Planning

By: John A. Quelch

The marketing director of Oscar Mayer faces a series of strategic marketing options regarding established and new products, including budget and capacity allocation decisions. View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Marketing Strategy; Product Launch; Product Development; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

27 Jul 2011
Research & Ideas

Customer Loyalty Programs That Work

president and CEO of grocery chain Stop & Shop. In 2007, certain brands of pet food manufactured in China and sold at several locations were found to be contaminated with melamine. Many pets became sick,... View Details

Keywords: by Maggie Starvish; Retail

26 Jan 2009
Research & Ideas

Where is Home for the Global Firm?

decentered. Managers will find food for thought to reconceptualize their corporate home and prepare strategically for the future. Martha Lagace: What is decentering, and why is it an important phenomenon? Mihir Desai: We've become... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

06 Jun 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas: June 6, 2017

understanding the lack of diversity in entrepreneurship and the venture capital industry. Download working paper: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=52704 Cellophane, the New Visuality, and the Creation of Self-Service Food... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

06 Mar 2018
First Look

First Look at Research and Ideas, March 6, 2018

Ambelang treated NatureSweet more like a consumer-packaged goods manufacturer than an agricultural producer, with a focus on consistency, branding, margin, and price stability, and a frontline-worker-centric production model inspired by... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

23 Jan 2012
Research & Ideas

Break Your Addiction to Service Heroes

red on food service. But Southwest doesn't pay much attention to that, because getting better at food service would slow its turnaround time, which is a big green for the airline when it comes to pleasing... View Details

Keywords: by Deborah Blagg; Service

02 Feb 2015
Research & Ideas

Disruptors Sell What Customers Want and Let Competitors Sell What They Don’t

not going to compete by building a car manufacturing supply chain, a telephony network or a big retail footprint. We are going to use that available infrastructure to our advantage. These startups are like fleas on the backs of dinosaurs... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

22 May 2007
First Look

First Look: May 22, 2007

and Failures of a Global Entrepreneur Harvard Business School Case 807-045 Bert Twaalfhoven (70; HBS '54) is faced with two offers to acquire the manufacturing holding company he had built up over 40 years. Despite the attractive price... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

December 1988 (Revised March 1989)
Case

Pabst Brewing Co.

At the end of 1984 the Pabst Brewing Co. was the object of a takeover contest for the second time in three years. Nearly two years after a reorganization in early 1983 Pabst still suffered from low margins and high debt service costs. This case describes the takeover... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Restructuring; Bids and Bidding; Acquisition; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

September 2019 (Revised May 2020)
Supplement

Keroche (F): Future Growth Plans

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Pippa Tubman Armerding

This case describes Keroche co-founder Tabitha Karanja’s 2012 decision to invest in additional production capacity. In November 2012, with a loan from Barclay’s bank, Keroche began constructing a new state-of-the-art beer brewery using German technology. The new plant,... View Details

April 1995 (Revised September 1997)
Case

Frito-Lay, Inc.: A Strategic Transition, 1987-1992 (Abridged)

By: Lynda M. Applegate

A new CEO must take action to return the company to profitability, to clarify the vision, and then to build the infrastructure (human, capital, and information) needed to support the long-term change in strategy and organization. The case provides a rich description of... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Leading Change; Information Technology; Adaptation; Technology Adoption; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry

December 1999 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Introducing New Coke

On April 23, 1985, the Coca-Cola Co. announced a decision that would rock the world. The old Coke formula would be taken off the market and replaced with a smoother, sweeter taste. The reaction of the American people was immediate and violent, causing three months of... View Details

Keywords: Failure; Product Development; Brands and Branding; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry

August 1990
Case

Giovanni Buton: International Marketing Strategy

Describes the situation confronting Giovanni Buton, an Italian distiller and beverage distributor, in 1989. The market for distilled spirits was declining and the spirits industry was consolidating via mergers and acquisitions on a worldwide basis. "Global brands" such... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Globalized Markets and Industries; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Italy; European Union