Publications

01 Mar 2014
News

Cutting Edge

Steve Silk (MBA 1978), shown here with his Smith Brothers actors, is a master at fashioning turnarounds. SILK & HIS BROS: "Iconic brands like Smith Brothers get instantaneous consumer and media respect."... View Details

Keywords: Food and Beverage Stores; Food and Beverage Stores; Food and Beverage Stores

Web

Online Business in Society Courses | HBS Online

Certificate Courses (6) Business and Climate Change Professors Forest Reinhardt & Michael Toffel Prepare yourself and your organization for the business risks and opportunities... View Details

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

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

November 2009 (Revised December 2009)
Case

DaChan Food (Asia) in China

By: Ray A. Goldberg and David Lane

DaChan Food in China is providing leadership in the quality, health, and environmental needs of the Chinese consumer as poultry consumption increases there. Continuing to provide that leadership as global and national competition increase becomes more and more... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Food; Leadership Development; Demand and Consumers; Brands and Branding; Competitive Strategy; Vertical Integration; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; China

August 1999 (Revised October 1999)
Case

RCA Records: The Digital Revolution

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Cate Reavis

In 1995, Bertelsmann-owned RCA Records was considered a "tired and old" record label. By 1999, the company represented a number of the "hottest" acts in the music industry. Nevertheless, the company's position (as well as that of the entire music industry) was under... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Business Model; Competition; Corporate Strategy; Internet and the Web; Change Management; Marketing Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

March 2010 (Revised February 2013)
Case

NFL UK

By: Elie Ofek, David B. Godes and Peter Wickersham

The NFL faces a decision on how to continue efforts to grow its fanbase in the U.K. The decision needs to take into account lessons learned from previous NFL activities in Europe, market research on the U.K. sports fan, and the implications of any move on the U.S. fan.... View Details

Keywords: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Innovation and Invention; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Sports; Expansion; Sports Industry; Europe; United Kingdom; United States

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; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

September 1984 (Revised February 1989)
Case

Benetton (A)

By: James L. Heskett

The world's largest manufacturer of woolen outerwear garments seeks to extend its retailing network to the United States from its base in Europe. A number of issues concerning marketing, manufacturing, and logistics strategy are raised by the proposed move along with... View Details

Keywords: Logistics; Brands and Branding; Networks; Production; Marketing Strategy; Globalization; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States; Europe

January 2000 (Revised May 2001)
Case

kate spade

Kate Spade's founders try to finance and grow their luxury handbag and accessories business. As the case ends, the founding team must decide among four potential strategic partners offering to purchase different shares of Kate Spade at various valuations. Includes... View Details

Keywords: Growth Management; Partners and Partnerships; Business Growth and Maturation; Brands and Branding; Apparel and Accessories Industry

December 2016
Supplement

Ron Johnson: A Career in Retail

By: Ryan Raffaelli, Joshua D. Margolis and Das Narayandas

This is a video supplement, to be used when teaching the Ron Johnson case. See abstract:

In April 2013, Ron Johnson (HBS '84) stepped down after just 18 months as CEO of J.C. Penney. In his brief tenure, Johnson, an acclaimed retailer respected for his... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Leadership Development; Legal Industry; Procurement; Professional Service Firms; Pricing; Competition; Organizational Behavior; Change Management; Innovation Leadership; Situation or Environment; Failure; Management Teams; Brands and Branding; Retail Industry; United States

May 2002 (Revised October 2002)
Case

Dell--New Horizons

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Marie Bell

Founded in 1984, Dell Corp. has achieved phenomenal growth, and by 2000 had topped $25 billion in sales and over $2 billion in net income. In the 4th quarter of 2000, however, the PC industry's average 30-year growth rate crashed to a negative 10%. Dell must make... View Details

Keywords: History; Decisions; Product Positioning; Marketing Strategy; Framework; Globalization; Brands and Branding; Computer Industry; Technology Industry; United States

04 Sep 2019
News

Action Plan: A New ’Cue

sketch out Pork & Mindy’s—the fast-casual barbecue brand that will have 65 locations in the West and Midwest by the end of 2019, along with a growing retail line. On that white board Corsello identified... View Details

Keywords: April White

October 2016 (Revised April 2018)
Case

JCPenney: Back in Business

By: Elie Ofek, K. Shelette Stewart and Christine Snively

In 2016, JCPenney was in the midst of a multi-year turnaround after coming dangerously close to bankruptcy. Under CEO Marvin Ellison, the company had identified three strategic objectives—a focus on omnichannel, private label goods, and increasing revenue per... View Details

Keywords: Retail; Customer Management; Omnichannel; Turnarounds; Private Label; Promotions; Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Customer Relationship Management; Goals and Objectives; Competition; Retail Industry; United States

June 2016
Teaching Note

Filene's Basement: Inside a Fired Customer's Relationship

By: Jill Avery and Susan Fournier

How, in a business climate in which building relationships with customers has dominated both managerial thought and marketing budgets, could Filene's Basement have fired a loyal customer, one who was formally and informally recognized as a best customer? This case... View Details

Keywords: CRM; Customer Profitability Analysis; Customer Lifetime Value; Consumer Behavior; Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Customer Focus and Relationships; Brands and Branding; Customer Relationship Management; Retail Industry; United States

September 2018
Teaching Note

The Reputation of the 'World's Most Prestigious Award': The Nobel Prize

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Mats Urde

A comprehensive treatment of classroom use of the case on issues affecting the reputation of the Nobel Prize (9-919-401). These encompass a global outreach initiative, the variety of entities that speak for the Prizes, the impact of new high-value awards, and a... View Details

Keywords: Nobel Prize; Reputation; Brands and Branding

November 2005 (Revised July 2007)
Case

Pine Ridge Winery, LLC (A)

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III and Lauren Barley

George Scheppler, president and CEO of Pine Ridge Winery, LLC, (the "Company") sat in his office overlooking the steep hillside vineyards of the Pine Ridge Winery in Napa Valley. It was June 2005, and he was preparing for the upcoming board of managers meeting where he... View Details

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Brands and Branding; Product Positioning; Corporate Strategy; Napa Valley

01 Aug 1998
News

High Honors

Johnson & Johnson in 1973 and in 1977 joined Standard Brands Incorporated. There she rose to become vice president of marketing for the margarine division. Standard merged with Nabisco in 1981, View Details

July 2023
Case

Honeycomb

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Kumba Sennaar

Honeycomb, an audio app enabling seniors to record stories and save family memories, suddenly draws interest from a younger user demographic. The co-founders consider pivoting to better serve this new user demographic. How should they think about strategy, brand, and... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Operations; Business Startups; Customer Focus and Relationships; Age; Brands and Branding; Technology Industry; United States