Publications

02 Dec 2016
News

Why We Are So Careless with the Things We Own?

October 2001 (Revised June 2004)
Case

Harrah's Entertainment Inc.

By: Rajiv Lal and Patricia Carrolo

Describes a situation facing Philip Satre, chairman and CEO of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. Satre was reading a May 2000 Wall Street Journal story that discussed the company's marketing success in targeting low rollers, the 100% growth in stock price and profits in the... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Marketing; Marketing Reference Programs; Performance Evaluation; Motivation and Incentives; Competitive Strategy

12 PM – 1 PM EDT, 25 Apr 2017
Webinars: Trending@HBS

A Recipe for Digital Disruption

In recent years, a new wave of digital disruption has been taking over the Internet. In this talk, Associate Professor Teixeira will show how a variety of firms, both incumbents and startups, are using digital technologies to break the bonds between activities that... View Details

October 2006 (Revised May 2007)
Case

Academia Barilla

By: David E. Bell and Mary L. Shelman

Barilla, the world's largest pasta company, has introduced a new high-quality, high-priced product line that features a range of authentic Italian food products sourced from artisan producers. Management believes the line will appeal to consumers seeking healthier... View Details

Keywords: Supply Chain; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Brands and Branding; Decision Choices and Conditions; Family Ownership; Nutrition; Product Development; Investment; Food and Beverage Industry; Italy

December 2010
Article

Altruistic Dynamic Pricing with Customer Regret

By: Julio J. Rotemberg

A model is considered where firms internalize the regret costs that consumers experience when they see an unexpected price change. Regret costs are assumed to be increasing in the size of price changes and this can explain why the size of price increases is less... View Details

Keywords: Cost; Price; Change; Inflation and Deflation; Cost Management; Customers; Practice; Announcements; Forecasting and Prediction

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2015
Book

Strong Brands, Strong Relationships

By: Susan Fournier, Michael Breazeale and Jill Avery

From the editorial team of the ground-breaking Consumer-Brand Relationships: Theory and Practice comes this new volume. Strong Brands, Strong Relationships is a collection of innovative research and management insights that build upon the foundations of... View Details

Keywords: Brand Building; Brand Management; CRM; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Marketing Communications; Advertising; Customer Relationship Management; Customer Focus and Relationships; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

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July 2023
Article

Deep Responsibility and Irresponsibility in the Beauty Industry

By: Geoffrey Jones

This article employs the concept of deep responsibility to assess the social responsibility of the beauty industry over time. It shows that many of today’s problems with the industry have deep historical roots. Products have too many ingredients that are potential... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

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23 Jun 2016
Blog Post

How I Structured My Second Year at HBS

Formally trained as an engineer, Matt Holzapfel (MBA 2015) worked at both Sears and Dell in the years before business school. While at HBS he discovered a budding interest in entrepreneurship, and took advantage View Details

September 2019
Case

Netflix: A Creative Approach to Culture and Agility

By: Ranjay Gulati, Allison Ciechanover and Jeff Huizinga

By 2018, Netflix had been credited for revolutionizing how viewers consumed entertainment—shifting from ad-fueled linear network programming to a highly personalized, on-demand, all-you-can-consume, ad-free model. The company was riding a long wave of revenue and... View Details

Keywords: Digital Technologies; Streaming; Video On Demand; International Expansion; Leadership; Information Technology; Entrepreneurship; Innovation and Management; Innovation Strategy; Leadership Style; Management Style; Organizational Culture; Entertainment; Media; Change Management; Expansion; Technology Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

April 1999 (Revised August 2000)
Case

Compaq Computer: Focus Groups

By: David E. Bell and Ann Leamon

Gives the final report, both results and methodology, of the focus group on Compaq Computer's new consumer notebook. Describes the groups, selection method, and methodology in detail. Should Compaq base its product design on the opinions of 64 people? Must be used with... View Details

Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Product Design; Outcome or Result; Corporate Strategy; Computer Industry

February 1985 (Revised September 1988)
Case

Komatsu Ltd.

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

Reviews and updates the structure and characteristics of the earth-moving equipment industry presented in the companion case, Caterpillar Tractor Co. After revealing that CAT has suffered major financial losses during the period from 1981 through 1984, the case... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Machinery and Machining; Price; Growth and Development; Brands and Branding; Product Development; Production; Competitive Strategy; Global Strategy; Manufacturing Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Industrial Products Industry

May 1995
Case

Hannaford Brothers: Leading the Grocery Channel Transformation

The merchandising manager of a supermarket chain leads an effort to reorganize the process of buying and delivering products from manufacturers to their warehouse for further distribution to stores. The company is an early mover in implementing efficient consumer... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Supply Chain Management; Distribution Channels; Customer Focus and Relationships; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

Career Coach

David Woodman

David (HBS '92) uses his experience in starting and running media companies to assist students in matching their skills and interests with opportunities in the Media, Sports, and Entertainment sectors.Work Experience: General Manager... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment / Media; Publishing / Communications / Advertising; Sports

February 2004
Case

Bradman and Tendulkar, LLC

By: Ananth Raman and Vishal Gaur

An investment firm is trying to project inventory turns for Radio Shack, a chain of consumer electronics stores. The investment firm has access to public financial data but not to internal operational metrics. It needs to project inventory turns because inventory... View Details

Keywords: Forecasting and Prediction; Cash Flow; Demand and Consumers; Distribution Channels; Mathematical Methods; Valuation

08 Jan 2020
Blog Post

Know Your Audience - Recruiting HBS Students for Private Equity

Director and Career Coach Katja Frey – Recruiting Relations Manager Together, Jonathan and Katja make up the Career & Professional Development team that manages relationships with Private Equity firms and coaches HBS students View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital / Private Equity

09 Jan 2015
News

5 Tips To Launch Your Mobile App On The Right Foot

June 2001
Case

Competitive Dynamics in Home Video Games (D): The Nintendo Super NES

Sets the scene for Nintendo's launch of its Super NES console in Japan and in the United States and describes consumer reaction to the console versus that of its major competitor at the time, Sega. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: Competition; Video Game Industry; Japan; United States

Career Coach

Ildi Nielsen

and consumer products companies. Ildi also spent 12 years as an Executive Search Consultant in New York and Chicago for financial services firms. She worked with senior executives to build their teams and with a multitude View Details

Keywords: Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance; Consumer Finance

October 1990 (Revised July 1991)
Case

Zenith: Marketing Research for High Definition Television (HDTV)

Managers at Zenith must decide what marketing research, if any, needs to be done now in order to assess market potential and consumer preference for a technological innovation, high definition television (HDTV) that is yet to be introduced. The case describes various... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Research; Marketing; Television Entertainment; Electronics Industry