Publications

Mar 04 2016
Testimonial

Finding a New Approach to Success

24 Feb 2014
Research & Ideas

Busting Six Myths About Customer Loyalty Programs

There are three ways to differentiate in retailing: location, location, and location. The problem is that as markets mature, location becomes less potent as a competitive advantage because the consumer has a... View Details

Keywords: by Marcel Corstjens & Rajiv Lal; Retail; Consumer Products

23 Feb 2009
Research & Ideas

Creative Entrepreneurship in a Downturn

systematically identify opportunities all around them. Martha Lagace: Your work highlights many opportunities for innovation and success despite the serious market conditions facing entrepreneurs. What about... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Career Coach

Matt Spielman

the globe. To complement his training as a certified executive coach, Matt draws upon his operating experience working as a Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, SVP Strategy & Innovation and... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products; Entertainment / Media; Entrepreneurship; Financial Services (All); Investment Banking; Financial Services (All); Investment Management; Financial Services (All); Sports; Technology; Venture Capital; Financial Services (All)

15 Dec 2014
Research & Ideas

Deconstructing the Price Tag

they are way out of whack with the market norm—and when the firm makes it clear that its own markup is much higher than what competitors charge. For instance, if a company charges $30 for a T-shirt, but emphasizes that competitors are... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Retail

Mar 17 2016
Testimonial

Dwyane Wade Goes One-on-One with Professor Elberse

09 Aug 2011
News

A Toast to Macchu Pisco

countries are riding the pisco boom but the Peruvian version has a quality edge, the Times asserted. Explains Asher, “We get our grapes from a cooperative of women growers. We monitor the wild yeasts, use cold fermentation, and generally... View Details

Keywords: Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing; Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing

27 Oct 2014
Research & Ideas

The Coffee Economy That Bloomed Out of Nowhere

her academic career studying the coffee economy of southern Mexico in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While her geographical focus is narrow, her research yields insights into export economies—and broad lessons for anyone... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Food & Beverage; Agriculture & Agribusiness

August 2019 (Revised August 2020)
Case

Magrabi: Fulfilling the Vision for the Future

By: John Beshears, Alpana Thapar and Boris Tsimerinov

In 2018, Magrabi was the leading retailer of eyeglasses, sunglasses, and other optical products in the Middle East, and it was embarking on a major shift in strategy, transitioning from a brand focused on clinical expertise to a brand that combined technical excellence... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Transition; Luxury; Sales; Service Delivery; Strategy; Employees; Recruitment; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry; Middle East

23 Aug 2011
First Look

First Look: August 23

Levy Publication:American Journal of Public Health (forthcoming) Abstract Objectives: We assessed whether a 2-phase labeling and choice architecture intervention increased sales of healthy food View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

02 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

Retail Reaches a Tipping Point—Which Stores Will Survive?

everything—was reportedly in conversations to buy some of those storefronts—possibly its first real beach-head in the brick-and-mortar world. As harbingers of the future of retail, these events certainly caught the attention of Harvard Business School View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Retail

25 Jul 2007
Lessons from the Classroom

The Evolution of Apple

only 6 million units over the course of 3 years, compared with sales of 300 million PCs during the same period. "Apple's market share has always been lower than its consumer mind share," remarks... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Computer; Technology

18 Apr 2005
Research & Ideas

Prosper with Multi-Channel Retailing

initial markup and generating substantial gross margin, which means tight controls of inventory." In addition to buying enough to sell on the Internet, the company must manage inventories for stores that have very different View Details

Keywords: by Julie Jette; Consumer Products; Retail

Mar 10 2016
Testimonial

A Global Perspective, An Enriched Network

15 Jan 2008
First Look

First Look: January 15, 2008

addition to its traditional investment management business. The private equity industry is rapidly institutionalizing, with firms raising funds over $10 billion and some considering public offerings. A sale... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

September 1992 (Revised July 1993)
Case

Staples, Inc.

By: David E. Bell

Staples is dissatisfied with the merchandising of its office furniture. The case reviews the situation, allowing students to consider whether the category should be dropped or changed. Permits consideration of the portfolio of products a positioning implies, and... View Details

Keywords: Change; Product Positioning; Supply Chain; Salesforce Management; Manufacturing Industry

23 Jun 2009
First Look

First Look: June 23

2.0 tools and applications like blogging, search engine optimization, and social media. Students follow the growth of HubSpot, an entrepreneurial venture which, in its quest... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

04 Feb 2014
First Look

First Look: February 4

"strategic"-with marketing people developing a marketing-centric strategy and favoring the marketing side of business-and derives two rational mechanisms for this... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthlorne

August 1983 (Revised May 1985)
Case

Jamestown Co.

By: Benson P. Shapiro and Edward J. Hoff

In May 1983 Ms. Katherine O'Brien, vice president of marketing, was deciding whether Jamestown should discontinue the use of independent representatives in favor of a direct company salesforce. Jamestown sold informal stoneware dinnerware through department and gift... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Leadership Style; Marketing Channels; Salesforce Management