Publications

February 2008 (Revised April 2008)
Case

Avaya (A)

Avaya's top management wants to improve demand generation. This requires an improvement in the relationship between Sales and Marketing. This case series (Avaya (A)-(D)) walks the student through each phase of this process. The (A) case begins with background on the... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Demand and Consumers; Performance Improvement; Relationships; Sales; Cooperation

June 2002
Case

Vans: Skating on Air

By: Youngme E. Moon and David Kiron

Vans is best known for selling footwear and apparel to skateboarders, surfers, and other alternative sports athletes. In April 2002, Gary Schoenfeld, the CEO, is facing a number of challenges. With respect to footwear, he must decide what to do about two product lines... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Product Launch; Demand and Consumers; Product Development; Value Creation; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; California

February 2025
Teaching Note

Barbie: Reviving a Cultural Icon at Mattel

By: Elie Ofek and Sarah Mehta

Brand Management; Culture and Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Entertainment Marketing; Intellectual Property; Consumer Preferences; Societal Marketing; Brand Purpose; Diversity and Inclusion; Driving Growth; Turnaround Strategies; Toy Industry View Details

June 2023
Exercise

Clash of Two Giants Simulation Exercise Instructions

By: Feng Zhu and Marco Iansiti

Many markets are organized around platforms that connect consumers with complimentary applications and services. These platforms are two-sided because both sides - consumers and those providing applications or services - need access to the same platform to interact. A... View Details

Keywords: Platform Strategies; Technology Platform; Customer Acquisition; Network Effects; Digital Platforms; Marketplace Matching; Strategy

September 1974
Case

Max-Able Medical Clinic (A)

The issue concerns introduction of a new technology in health care delivery. The case requires the student to analyze the process for delivering health care via a new technology, the multiphasic testing facility. Analysis of patient flow, capacity, choice of tests, and... View Details

Keywords: Service Delivery; Technology Adoption; Health Care and Treatment; Service Industry; Health Industry

Find at Harvard

02 Jul 2020
Working Paper Summaries

Inflation with COVID Consumption Baskets

Keywords: by Alberto Cavallo

January 2017
Background Note

Making Virtual Reality Real

By: Feng Zhu, Sarah Mehta and David Lane

This note describes virtual reality and augmented reality technologies and describes the main consumer products on offer in 2016 as well as their manufacturers. It also surveys existing applications of virtual and augment reality technologies. View Details

Keywords: Virtual Reality; Augmented Reality; Oculus; Google; HTC; Magic Leap; Microsoft; Samsung; Software; Niantic; Digital Platforms; Technology Adoption; Applications and Software; Technology Industry

August 1993 (Revised June 1994)
Case

21-Speed Gizmos, Inc.

In this hypothetical case, 21-Speed Gizmos, Inc., a manufacturer of electronic bicycle components for the serious cyclist, must decide what price to charge for a new product. Describes the product and includes cost and demand information available for making the... View Details

Keywords: Price; Decision Making; Product Marketing; Manufacturing Industry

15 Oct 2017
News

Bonuses are the enemy of progress

August 2019
Case

ClearScore, 2018

By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock

In October 2017, Experian, one of the “Big Three” consumer credit reporting agencies in the United Kingdom made an offer to acquire ClearScore for a total consideration of £293 million. Founded by Justin Basini, Dan Cobley, and Nigel Morris in 2014, ClearScore was the... View Details

Pietro Satriano is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School. He sits on the boards of CarMax, the largest omni-channel used car retailer in the U.S. and Metro, a large regional grocery retailer in Canada. Pietro advises a number of food-tech startups and acts... View Details

Research Summary

Crowdsourced reviews

To determine whether online consumer reviews influence the way that reputation is formed, Professor Luca has combined reviews from the website Yelp.com with public restaurant data. He has shown that a one-star increase in Yelp ratings results in a 5- to 9-percent... View Details

30 Mar 2025
Video

HydroHaul: Satchu-Burgstone Runner-Up Prize Winner, Student Business Track, 2025 New Venture Competition

20 Nov 2019
Video

Shinta Widjaja Kamdani

Shinta Kamdani, owner of Indonesian-based consumer products and energy company Sintesa Group, discusses the commitment of her group to renewable energy.

View Details

December 1987 (Revised August 1990)
Case

Florida Power & Light's Quality Improvement Program

Describes a major electric utility's highly successful effort to institute a comprehensive quality improvement program throughout the organization. Designed to be used in a comparative analysis of the quality improvement effort described in Paul Revere Insurance Co.... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Quality; Performance Productivity; Utilities Industry; Florida

Teaching Interest

Overview

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport

Technology Entrepreneurship, Marketing Strategy, Service Management View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Strategy Formulation; ＂Marketing Analytics＂; Advertising Technology; Media Content; Media And Broadcasting Industry; Media Businesses; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

September 1975
Background Note

Market Analysis

Describes the nature and purposes of market analysis. Among topics briefly discussed are primary and selective demand, determinants of demand, market segmentation, the product life cycle, and temporal or cyclical demand variations. Intended as background reading in an... View Details

Keywords: Analysis; Markets; Marketing