Publications

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January 2025
Case

A Winning Strategy (A): Innovation in Olympic Speed Skating

By: Rebecca Karp, Maria Roche, Maisie Wiltshire-Gordon and Tom Quinn

This case describes two innovators in the Olympic sport of speed skating: the U.S. Men’s team, which devised a new approach to the team pursuit event following their disappointing performance in the 2018 Winter Olympics; and Nils van der Poel, a Swedish skater who... View Details

Keywords: Sports; Disruptive Innovation; Innovation Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Knowledge Sharing; Sports Industry; United States; Sweden; Netherlands; Norway

06 Aug 2008
Research & Ideas

Are the Olympics a Catalyst for China Reforms?

With China hosting the Summer Olympic Games starting this week, some reformers see an opportunity to use the world stage as a platform to pressure the country's leadership into expanding social freedoms. Judging by recent news, they don't... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

2008
Blog

Harvard Business Online—Marketing Know:How: How Olympics Branding Is Shaping China

June 2013
Teaching Note

Olympic Rent-A-Car U.S.: Customer Loyalty Battles (Brief Case)

By: John Deighton and James T. Kindley

July 2014
Article

Project Complexity and Systems Integration: Constructing the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games

By: Andrew Davies and Ian Mackenzie

Our study of the London Olympics 2012 construction programme showed that systems integration is one of the major challenges involved in delivery of a complex "system of systems"—or array—project. Organizations cope with complexity by decomposing a project into... View Details

Keywords: Integration; Construction; Complexity; Sports; Projects; Construction Industry; Sports Industry; London

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October 2006 (Revised November 2007)
Supplement

Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki and the 2004 Athens Olympic Games (B)

By: Christopher Marquis, Doug Guthrie and Yannis Katsarakis

Keywords: Sports; Sports Industry; Greece

2008
Blog

Harvard Business Online—Marketing Know:How: How Companies Should Play the Olympics

27 Jul 2021
Cold Call Podcast

Mixing Sports and Money: Adidas and the Commercialization of the Olympics

Keywords: Re: Geoffrey G. Jones; Sports; Apparel & Accessories

November 2007
Teaching Note

Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki and the 2004 Athens Olympic Games (TN) (A) & (B)

By: Christopher Marquis and Alison Comings

Keywords: Sports; Sports Industry

June 2013
Supplement

Olympic Rent-A-Car U.S.: Customer Loyalty Battles, Spreadsheet for Instructors (Brief Case)

By: John Deighton and James T. Kindley

February 20, 2014
Article

Buying Gold in the Olympics and in the Global War for Talent

By: Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

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November 2017 (Revised June 2019)
Case

Winning (and Losing) the Olympics: Boston 2024 (A)

By: David Fubini, Ethan Bernstein, Mark Saadine, Sarah McAra and James Barnett

Two leadership groups from Boston 2024 negotiate with government bodies, community leaders, and Olympic officials in an effort to bring the 2024 Olympics to Boston. View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Negotiation Process; Projects; Boston

18 Sep 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, September 18, 2018

that bargaining between GPs and LPs leads to gradation in investment performance based on the parties’ outside options. Download working paper: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=54888 After the Carnival: Key Factors to Enhance View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

06 May 2013
Research & Ideas

How Local Events Shake Up Corporate Philanthropy

Planning to ask a big company for a charitable donation? You may be wise to time your request around a huge sporting event—specifically, an event that takes place in the firm's home city. A recent research paper shows that enormous events like the View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

2013
Working Paper

NBC and the 2012 London Olympics: Unexpected Success

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Vadim Kogan

"The 2010 Vancouver Winter Games lost $223 million, astonishing for a 17-day event. Next year's London Summer Games, which cost a record Olympic rights fee of $1.18 billion, are expected to lose at least as much..." wrote Richard Sandomir in The New York Times. "NBC... View Details

Keywords: Success; Profit; Sports; Failure; Television Entertainment; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Vancouver; Beijing; London; Brazil; Russia

Read Now

August 1988 (Revised November 1989)
Case

Reebok International Ltd.

Reebok executives are reviewing the company's advertising and promotion programs for the second half of 1988. These include sponsorship of the 1988 Summer Olympics and a rock concert tour organized by Amnesty International. In addition, Reebok is launching a new... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Music Entertainment; Advertising Campaigns; Sports; Advertising Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry

November 2017
Supplement

Winning (and Losing) the Olympics: Boston 2024 (B)

By: David Fubini, Ethan Bernstein, Mark Saadine, Sarah McAra and James Barnett

A summary of events that occurred after the (A) case, including Los Angeles winning nomination for the 2028 Olympics with assistance from Pagliuca and Boston 2024 bid material. View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Projects; Los Angeles; Boston

August 2008
Supplement

Lenovo Chief Marketing Officer and Senior VP E-Commerce, Deepak Advani, Interviewed by Professor John Quelch

Professor John Quelch interviewed Lenovo CMO, Deepak Advani, regarding Lenovo's buy-out of IBM's personal computer business, and Lenovo's marketing strategy leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Leveraged Buyouts; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Hardware; Computer Industry; China

December 1998
Case

NHL 1998: "The Coolest Game in Nagano"

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Kirk A. Goldman

Explores the National Hockey League's participation in the 1998 Winter Olympics, for which a "winter break" was taken from the regular schedule. The benefits and risks associated with the NHL's Olympic participation are one specific focus. In addition, the case address... View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Brands and Branding; Marketing Communications; Opportunities; Competitive Strategy; Expansion