Publications

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January 2008 (Revised January 2009)
Case

The Armstrong Investigation

By: David Moss and Eugene Kintgen

In the early 20th century, public outrage at certain life insurance practices led to an investigation in New York State that threatened to curtail growth in the industry. Charles Evans Hughes guided the four-month-long Armstrong Investigation, which made startling... View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Annuities; Insurance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Insurance Industry; New York (state, US)

10 Feb 2010
News

Super Bowl Commercials: What the Other Big Game is All About

November–December 2013
Article

The Dynamic Effects of Bundling as a Product Strategy

By: Timothy Derdenger and Vineet Kumar

Several key questions in bundling have not been empirically examined: Is mixed bundling more effective than pure bundling or pure components? Does correlation in consumer valuations make bundling more or less effective? Does bundling serve as a complement or substitute... View Details

Keywords: Product Strategy; Bundling; Complementary Goods; Marketing; Strategy; Video Game Industry

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April 2010 (Revised November 2011)
Case

Soren Chemical: Why Is the New Swimming Pool Product Sinking?

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Sunru Yong

Topics include distribution channels, pricing, and new product marketing. Jen Moritz, the marketing manager for Soren Chemical Co. is struggling with the poor sales performance of Coracle, a new clarifier for residential swimming pools. The performance is puzzling... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Mix; New Product Marketing; Pricing; Branding; Price; Marketing Strategy; Marketing Channels; Product Launch; Brands and Branding; Communication Strategy; Chemical Industry

26 Jan 2015
News

What You Can Expect For Social Video in 2015

14 Mar 2016
News

Even A Company Known For Overworking People Is Embracing Sleep

October 1981 (Revised August 1985)
Case

Vicks Health Care Division: Project Scorpio (C)

Reveals that the new products executives have decided to recommend national expansion. They have to develop a justification and preliminary marketing plan. Emphasizes consumer and trade promotion options. Students have to complete a five-year projected P&L statement. View Details

Keywords: Product Positioning; Health Care and Treatment; Product Launch; Health Industry

June 1994 (Revised June 1995)
Case

Chandler Home Products: European Rationalization

By: Michael Y. Yoshino

Chandler, a large U.S. consumer products firm, is rationalizing its European operations. Tony Pesci, protagonist, is deciding which plants to close for maximum efficiency. The manufacturing/marketing relationship is strained as efficiency is being weighed against... View Details

Keywords: Debates; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Labor; Contracts; Operations; Performance Efficiency; Relationships; Consumer Products Industry; United States

October 1992 (Revised October 1994)
Case

Randall's Department Stores

By: Walter J. Salmon and Gwendolyn K. Ortmeyer

Discusses a well-known traditional department store that confronts a very difficult issue of whether to change its pricing policy from a high-low to an everyday pricing approach. Demands that the student formulate a plan of execution for changing the pricing, if... View Details

Keywords: Fluctuation; Price; Marketing Strategy; Strategic Planning

Career Coach

Claire DSilva

Claire led Strategic Business Development at Klarna before HBS and has previous experience in Strategy at Chase in New York. She led hiring for groups at both organizations and can provide insight into what... View Details

08 Aug 2014
News

Seeing what leaders miss

August 2009
Case

The TSMC Way: Meeting Customer Needs at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

By: Willy C. Shih, Chen-Fu Chien, Chintay Shih and Jack Chang

When L.C. Tu receives an emergency order, he is confronted with a range of production scheduling choices, each of which has unique costs and trade-offs. The case was designed to help students understand job-shop style production and the impact of disruptions and... View Details

Keywords: Disruption; Customer Relationship Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Cost; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Production; Semiconductor Industry; Taiwan

27 Jul 2023
Blog Post

Buy big, sell small

in July 2020. This time, Shruti’s entrepreneurial timing was spot-on. Kiranas have an open-air layout, with counter-based transactions. When the pandemic closed indoor stores, kiranas became the lifeline for everyday needs. Facing frenzied View Details

July 1986 (Revised March 1989)
Case

Jim Southern

By: Howard H. Stevenson

A recent MBA graduate has reached tentative agreement for an LBO of a forms-printing business with $43 million sales. At the eleventh hour, however, the seller has demanded that the buyer personally guarantee $4 million of accounts payable. View Details

Keywords: Agreements and Arrangements; Leveraged Buyouts; Accounting

12 Apr 2017
Blog Post

2+2er Pursues HBS/HKS Joint Degree

Life can get quite busy here for all the right reasons. No matter how demanding it gets, I try my best not to take my time here for granted because these few years have truly been special. This experience has been made possible by this... View Details

October 2005 (Revised December 2006)
Case

Magazine Luiza: Building a Retail Model of "Courting the Poor"

By: Frances X. Frei and Ricardo Reisen de Pinho

Describes the innovative retail model of the Brazilian firm Magazine Luiza. Magazine Luiza enables low-income consumer credit by applying a flexible and nuanced evaluation system. Additionally, its dedication to customer service, employee motivation, and progressive... View Details

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Information Technology; Income; Innovation and Management; Success; Customer Focus and Relationships; Credit; Retail Industry; Brazil

April 1996 (Revised May 1997)
Case

Netscape's Initial Public Offering

By: W. Carl Kester and Kendall Backstrand

In August 1995, Netscape's board of directors was confronted with a decision about what price to offer the company's shares in its initial public offering (IPO). Preliminary demand for shares was high, but the company had not generated any positive earnings at the time... View Details

Keywords: Initial Public Offering; Information Technology; Problems and Challenges; Valuation; Governing and Advisory Boards; Information Technology Industry