Publications

December 1998 (Revised May 2003)
Case

Vivendi (A): Revitalizing a French Conglomerate

By: Cynthia A. Montgomery and John M. Turner

Examines corporate strategy for a diversified firm in the French business context. Issues include corporate governance, vision, and the management of unrelated diversification. After the company's first loss ever, the Vivendi board elected a new chairman who completed... View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Technological Innovation; Business or Company Management; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Diversification; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Telecommunications Industry; France

Web

Research - Health Care

and Management Regina E. Herzlinger General Management Leslie K. John Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Rosabeth M. Kanter General Management Robert S. Kaplan Tarun Khanna Strategy Karim R. Lakhani Technology and Operations Management... View Details

April 2015 (Revised March 2017)
Case

Instacart and the New Wave of Grocery Startups

By: John Deighton and Leora Kornfeld

Instacart is testing an Uber-style solution to the challenge of building a home-delivered grocery business. It is backed by $220 million of venture funding. Will this model succeed where businessses like Webvan failed? What are the questions that this exploratory... View Details

Keywords: Food Retailing; Outsourced Grocery Delivery; Online Ordering; Dynamic Pricing; Data Analytics; Marketing Strategy; Food; Distribution Channels; Business Startups; Food and Beverage Industry; California

June 17, 2016
Comment

Companies Need to Start Marketing Security to Customers

Recent events in Orlando underscore an important marketing truth: consumer safety and security are mission critical. A popular nightclub, Pulse, known as a safe place for the LGBT community, is put out of business at least temporarily by a terrorist act. Not far away... View Details

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November 1999 (Revised March 2003)
Case

Webvan: Groceries on the Internet

By: John A. Deighton and Kayla Bakshi

What are the prospects for grocery shopping on the Web? This case invites a comparison of seven business models, with particular emphasis on Webvan. Why does the investment community value Webvan at $7.8 billion after less than six months of operating experience, and... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Experience and Expertise; Investment; Information; Marketing; Distribution Channels; Service Delivery; Cognition and Thinking; Internet and the Web; Retail Industry; Service Industry

Web

Marketing Awards & Honors - Faculty & Research

summer 1990). 1985 Rajiv Lal : Winner of the 1985 John D.C. Little Award for "A Theory of Salesforce Compensation Plans" (with A. K. Basu, V. Srinivasan, and Richard Staelin, Marketing Science , fall 1985).... View Details

October 2008 (Revised November 2009)
Case

Obama versus Clinton: The YouTube Primary

By: John A. Deighton and Leora Kornfeld

What was the role of the Internet in the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination between Senators Obama and Clinton? How does the role change in the shift from the Primary to the National election? The case examines media and content choices by each... View Details

Keywords: Political Elections; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Marketing Channels; Media; Internet; United States

Web

Events - Business History

Events Events Upcoming Events Business History Seminar The Fall 2025 Business History Seminar, co-organized by Geoffrey Jones and Christina Lubinski, explores the theme "Rethinking Entrepreneurial History." The Seminar meets via Zoom on... View Details

July 1996 (Revised June 1998)
Case

Gillette Indonesia

The country manager of Gillette Indonesia is reviewing his 1996 marketing plan and considering whether the pace of market development and mix of product sales can be impacted by the level and type of Gillette expenditures in the market. View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Emerging Markets; Forecasting and Prediction; Product Marketing; Manufacturing Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Indonesia

2016
Working Paper

Signaling without Certification: The Critical Role of Civil Society Scrutiny

By: Susan A. Kayser, John W. Maxwell and Michael W. Toffel

In response to stakeholders' growing concerns, companies are joining voluntary environmental programs to signal their superior environmental management capabilities. In contrast to the literature's focus on certification programs that require a third-party audit, we... View Details

Keywords: United Nations; Labor Standards; Supplier Relationship; Procurement; Sustainability; Sustainability Management; Quality And Safety; Risk; Globalization; Globalized Markets and Industries; Governance; Working Conditions; Supply Chain Management; Supply Chain; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Quality; Risk and Uncertainty; Safety; Reputation

SSRN

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Web

Online Business Analytics Course | HBS Online

Harvard Business Analytics Program is an online certificate program offered through a collaboration between Harvard Business School, the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the... View Details

Web

Events - Private Capital Project

(International Programs Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management), Kate Bingham (Managing Partner, SV Health Investors), Ramana Nanda (Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance, Imperial College London), and Conor Walsh (Paul A.... View Details

Web

Globalization - Faculty & Research

in The Historical Evolution of International Business: Growth Trajectory of an Academic Field of Study , edited by L. Nachum and A. Yaprak, 233–241. Palgrave Macmillan, 2025. Trade Within Multinational... View Details

December 1980 (Revised July 1991)
Case

Loctite Corp.: Industrial Products Group

A new product introduction strategy covering all elements of the marketing mix must be planned for equipment designed to dispense industrial adhesives. The equipment and adhesives are manufactured by the same company. View Details

Keywords: Product Marketing; Manufacturing Industry; Industrial Products Industry

2021
Report

The Economic Impact of the Market-Making Internet Advertising, Content, Commerce, and Innovation

By: John A. Deighton and Leora Kornfeld

This research about the economic value of the Internet is conducted approximately every four years and highlights the importance of the internet ecosystem, which enables job creation and market-making opportunities. This highly valued, extensive piece of economic... View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Digital Marketing; Innovation and Invention; Communication Technology; Social Media; Advertising; Value; Brands and Branding

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15 Oct 2014
News

The Next Generation of Social Networks

September 1990 (Revised November 1994)
Case

Kao Corp.

As the Japanese diaper market expands, Kao management must determine its response to new product introductions by its two major competitors. Options include launching a new premium priced brand or a new low priced brand, or increasing advertising and promotion... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Marketing Strategy; Industry Growth; Product Launch; Brands and Branding; Consumer Products Industry; Japan