Publications

23 Apr 2014
HBS Case

Are Electronic Cigarettes a Public Good or Health Hazard?

When electronic cigarettes first appeared a little over a decade ago, they were hailed by many as a godsend: a tool to help smokers quit while mitigating the most harmful effects of tobacco. "The [e-cigarette] View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage; Advertising

23 Sep 2013
Research & Ideas

Status: When and Why It Matters

matters. "Status effects are estimated much smaller once you account for two factors. First, the market places disproportional value on the pinnacle of quality—the Bugattis of this world, for example.... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

07 Dec 1999
Research & Ideas

Henry Heinz and Brand Creation in the Late Nineteenth Century

efficiently as possible. Increasing the company's product line was a potentially quick, inexpensive way to shape a nascent market for processed food. It was also a means, Heinz reasoned, of building the brand. In the 1870s, branding was a... View Details

Keywords: by Nancy F. Koehn

April 2013 (Revised October 2014)
Case

SaferTaxi: Connecting Taxis and Passengers in South America

By: Peter Coles and Benjamin Edelman

SaferTaxi, a taxi booking service in South America must develop its mobilization strategy; that is, it must attract enough passengers and drivers to make its service worthwhile for all. Drivers hesitate to pay for SaferTaxi's smartphones and service unless these will... View Details

Keywords: Taxi Booking; Smartphone; Transportation Networks; Network Effects; Laws and Statutes; South America; Argentina; Brazil; Chile

November 2003 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Teledesic (Abridged)

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann

Describes plans for a failed project that proposed the use of 288 satellites to deliver high-speed data communications services anywhere in the world. View Details

Keywords: Communication Technology; Network Effects; Failure; Information Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry

14 Oct 2013
Research & Ideas

Blockbuster! Why Star Power Works

makes huge investments to acquire, develop, and market concepts with strong hit potential, and then banks on the sales of those titles to make up for the middling performance of their other content. Today's leading film studios,... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Entertainment & Recreation

September 1991 (Revised May 1994)
Case

Microsoft's Networking Strategy

By: David B. Yoffie

Keywords: Network Effects; Networks; Business Strategy; Information Technology; Information Technology Industry

Find at Harvard

09 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

The Manager’s Guide to Communicating with Customers Collection

what shoppers do. This observational work is the bread and butter of Paco Underhill, a consultant whose market research firm, Envirosell (New York City), has been studying retail shopper behavior for 20 years. Teach a kid to hammer, and... View Details

Keywords: by Richard Bierck; Retail

01 Sep 2014
News

All For One

question was how to do it. At Indian electronics firm HCL Technologies, incoming CEO Vineet Nayar inherited a once-great technology company that had lost its way by the time he took over in 2005. The company had steadily lost market share... View Details

Keywords: Michael Blanding; faculty; research; Market Research, Photo, Translation, Veterinary and Other Services; Market Research, Photo, Translation, Veterinary and Other Services

12 Mar 2007
Research & Ideas

The New Real Estate

this is a huge difference in energy usage and would have a profound effect on our economy, not to mention our national security. Emerging Markets There is tremendous real estate growth in emerging markets.... View Details

Keywords: by Arthur I. Segel; Construction; Real Estate

29 Jan 2013
Research & Ideas

Creating the Perfect Super Bowl Ad

question whether ads, including the over-the-top Super Bowl spots, have become too entertaining, says Thales S. Teixeira, an assistant professor in the Marketing unit at Harvard Business School. In upcoming research, Why, When and How... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard; Advertising; Media & Broadcasting

16 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

Brand Power from Wedgwood to Dell: Part One

when he began his own pottery workshop in 1759. Nevertheless, each of the three, she writes, instinctively grasped the fundamentals of earning long-term customer trust and loyalty. Effective brand creation and management have a vital... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

January 1989
Case

Benetton S.p.A.

By: Howard H. Stevenson

Focuses on the strategic/organizational development of Benetton. Examines the organizational structure which has allowed the company to expand into a world scale company from its small entrepreneurial base. Examines the functional strategies which have allowed a huge... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Organizational Structure; Growth and Development; Business Strategy; Performance Effectiveness; Fashion Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry