Publications

01 Jun 2025
News

Barbie: Reviving a Cultural Icon at Mattel

Creating Brand Value, Ofek and his co-authors look at the company’s evolution from toy manufacturer to IP franchise manager and the reinvigoration of the famous View Details

Keywords: Christine Speer Lejeune; Illustrations by Miguel Porlan; Educational Services

November 2012
Case

New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. (Abridged)

By: H. Kent Bowen, Robert S. Huckman, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Matthew Preble

Considers whether New Balance, one of the world's five largest manufacturers of athletic footwear, should respond to Adidas' planned acquisition of Reebok—a transaction that would join the second- and third-largest companies in the industry. Highlights the unique... View Details

Keywords: Production; Competitive Strategy; Supply Chain; Brands and Branding; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Asia; United States

May 2017 (Revised September 2017)
Case

Taj Hotels: Leading Change, Driving Profitability

By: Krishna Palepu, Anjali Raina and Rachna Chawla

Rakesh Sarna, MD and CEO of the Indian Hotels Company ltd (IHCL) was faced with the challenge of leading and embedding changes in IHCL to turnaround its trajectory. IHCL and its subsidiaries, headquartered in India, were a venerable hotel chain, collectively known as... View Details

Keywords: Turnaround; Hospitality Industry; Leadership; Brands and Branding; Marketing; Strategy; Globalization; Leading Change; Accommodations Industry; India

01 Jun 2022
News

A Sustainable Solution for Fashion

demand shifts by season. Brands and retailers must correctly stock items in their customers’ preferred color, pattern, style, fit, and price without much historical data. “Most... View Details

Keywords: April White

01 Jun 2004
News

Luxe Redux

Cashing in on the $60 billion global luxury goods market has never been tougher — or more rewarding. Competition is keen. And consumer preferences are constantly shifting, causing the concept of luxury itself to change over time. As a... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; luxury; Retail Trade

December 2021 (Revised September 2022)
Case

Moleskine: Daniela Riccardi Turns the Page

By: Ryan Raffaelli and Sarah Gulick

Newly appointed CEO Daniela Riccardi needed to develop and present an action plan to the board of the company that owned Moleskine. Riccardi was hired because Moleskine had recently overextended its reach and needed more focus and discipline. Having previously served... View Details

Keywords: Rebranding; Brands and Branding; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Operations; Planning; Retail Industry; Italy

April 2013
Case

The Walt Disney Company: The Entertainment King (Abridged)

By: Michael G. Rukstad and David J. Collis

The first ten pages of this case are comprised of the company's history, from 1923 to 2001. The Walt years are described, as is the company's decline after his death and its resurgence under Eisner. The last five pages are devoted to Eisner's strategic challenges in... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Advantage; Vertical Integration; Corporate Strategy; Boundaries; Brands and Branding; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

01 Jun 2014
News

In My Humble Opinion: Jan Swartz (MBA 1996)

SWARTZ: Captaining a global brand through the high seas (photo by Susan J. Young) SWARTZ: Captaining a global brand through the high seas (photo by Susan J. Young) Growing up in Houston, Jan Swartz (MBA... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation; Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation; Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation

May 2024 (Revised February 2025)
Case

Lowe's: Improving the Total Home Strategy

By: Elie Ofek, K. Shelette Stewart and Alicia Dadlani

In 2023, Marvin Ellison, CEO of Lowe’s, contemplated enhancements to the company’s Total Home Strategy to accelerate performance and grow market share. In the last five years since becoming CEO, Ellison had championed a turnaround of the company, completing a... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; E-commerce; Competition; Brands and Branding; Business Strategy; Retail Industry; United States; North Carolina

May 1990 (Revised October 1991)
Case

Black & Decker Corp.: Spacemaker Plus Coffeemaker (B)

Describes the highly successful recall of the Black & Decker Spacemaker Plus Coffeemaker. Objectives include: 1) factors in product recall effectiveness and success, 2) the use of direct marketing in product recall, 3) the role of public relations in product recall,... View Details

Keywords: Safety; Brands and Branding; Product Marketing; Consumer Products Industry

29 Aug 2023
News

Helping Consumers Decarbonize their Purchases

should be paying. In the cases when companies are paying them, then the customer sees that their own offset subscription is less expensive and that's true in the app today. If they're buying from these View Details

March 2007 (Revised July 2011)
Case

Nike Inc. - Heading Toward 2012

By: William E. Fruhan Jr.

This is a short case (2 pages), which can be distributed and discussed in class as an update through 2006 of the Nike case series. It follows Nike, Inc.: Entering the Millennium (Case #299-084). View Details

Keywords: Business History; Brands and Branding; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

October 2010 (Revised January 2011)
Case

Toyota Recalls (A): Hitting the Skids

By: John A. Quelch, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Ryan Johnson

In the fall of 2009, Toyota Motor Corporation, once revered for its commitment to quality and reliability, faced a highly publicized series of recalls in the United States representing approximately a year's worth of sales in one of its most important markets. While... View Details

Keywords: Communication Strategy; Crisis Management; Brands and Branding; Quality; Public Opinion; Auto Industry; Japan; United States

Web

Courses by Faculty Unit - Course Catalog

and Valuation Using Financial Statements Joseph Pacelli Fall 2025 Q1Q2 3.0 Yuan Zou Spring 2026 Q3Q4 3.0 Changing the World: Life Choices of Influential Leaders (also listed under General Management) Robert Simons Fall 2025 Q1Q2 3.0... View Details

13 Jun 2005
Research & Ideas

Rescuing Products with Stealth Positioning

When firms adopt a reverse or breakaway positioning strategy, there is no pretense about what they're up to. Part of the appeal of their cleverly positioned product offerings comes from explicitly subverting convention through unconventional promotions, prices, View Details

Keywords: by Youngme Moon

May 2003
Case

Liz Claiborne, Inc.

By: Rajiv Lal, Walter J. Salmon and Edie Prescott

Discusses the business portfolio emphasis of a large multibrand manufacturer and the future of department stores as well as how relationships between manufacturers and key customers can be improved. View Details

Keywords: Forecasting and Prediction; Investment Portfolio; Brands and Branding; Production; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Apparel and Accessories Industry

24 May 2017
News

Ilene H. Lang, MBA 1973

Return to Alumni Achievement Awards main page TIMELINE 1943 Born, Chicago, Illinois 1965 Earns AB, History and Literature, Radcliffe College 1966 Joins PHI as Technical Editor 1968 Joins Cambridge Computer Associates as Technical Writer... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young

August 1994 (Revised July 1995)
Case

Astra Sports, Inc. (A)

By: John A. Quelch

Astra executives meet to discuss how to counteract the appearance of Korean-made counterfeit athletic shoes in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Strategy; Crime and Corruption; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; North Korea; Latin America; South Korea; Asia; Europe