Publications

28 Nov 2005
Research & Ideas

Unilever: Transformation and Tradition

possessed, first, strong capabilities in branding and marketing. It understood local markets, and it knew how to market to them. It was at the frontier of market segmentation strategies in packaged consumer products. It opened up new... View Details

Keywords: by Geoffrey Jones; Consumer Products

July 2019 (Revised May 2021)
Case

Acelerex

By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock

In early 2019, Randell Johnson, Founder and Chief Executive of Acelerex, was reflecting on the company’s first year of rapid growth and the challenges of scaling the business that lay ahead. Acelerex was riding the waves of change taking place in electrical power grids... View Details

Keywords: Energy; Energy Sources; Growth Management; Expansion; Global Strategy; Cash Flow; Energy Industry; Web Services Industry; Consulting Industry

Research Summary

Understanding Customers

In conventional business case studies, protagonists almost never have the option of stepping back to seek a new understanding of the customer. But to be effective in practice, managers need both the self-assurance and ability to initiate and pursue, with rigor and... View Details

2015
Report

Clusters and Regional Economies: Implications for the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Region

By: Christian H.M. Ketels

The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Region, covering eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces located around the lakes and waterways that have given this region its name, is what economic developers call a 'macro region'. It is an area of intensive economic interaction... View Details

Keywords: Clusters; Regional Policy; Great Lakes; Economic Development; Industry Clusters; Economy; Canada; United States

Read Now

12 May 2023
Blog Post

Independent Project: The Rise of Electric Heat Pumps

segments that are most equipped to make the switch first: Smaller-sized homes requiring smaller, cheaper pumps Lower-income households that can qualify for up to $10K in rebates. The IRA has been a major tipping point in electric heat... View Details

August 2006 (Revised February 2009)
Case

Tanishq: Positioning to Capture the Indian Woman's Heart

By: Das Narayandas and Kerry Herman

The firm has to choose between an established brand, Tanishq, and a new skunkworks brand, GoldPlus, to go after the Indian plain gold jewelry market: Tanishq, initially targeted at a western customer, has undergone strategic retooling and has currently been... View Details

Keywords: Customers; Brands and Branding; Product Positioning; Segmentation; Apparel and Accessories Industry; India

23 Nov 2021
Research & Ideas

The Vinyl Renaissance: Take Those Old Records Off the Shelf

then sell this to the consumer. If you look at vinyl right now, it’s a very small segment of the market, but it has a very important, symbolic role. The vinyl record is an extension of the craft of making music, another way to connect... View Details

Keywords: by Christine Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette; Music

Web

Research - Private Capital Project

century innovative disruptions were central to understanding corporate defaults. In a given year, industries experiencing abnormally high VC or IPO activity subsequently see higher default rates, higher segment exits by conglomerates,...... View Details

29 Jan 2021
Op-Ed

How Influencers, Celebrities, and FOMO Can Win Over Vaccine Skeptics

be classified into five segments: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Each of the five segments has its own behavioral and demographic characteristics, with varying levels of uncertainty about the... View Details

Keywords: by Rohit Deshpandé, Ofer Mintz, and Imran S. Currim

July 2017
Case

Magpie: Developing and Using Buyer Personas

By: Frank V. Cespedes

The founders of a start-up platform for publishers have developed preliminary personas of target customers and are evaluating the implications for initial target buyers, messaging, and marketing programs. The case is useful for discussing the process of developing... View Details

Keywords: Buying Process; Marketing; Sales; Distribution Channels; Segmentation; Entrepreneurship; Social Media; Consumer Products Industry; Fashion Industry; United States

06 Oct 2020
Sharpening Your Skills

18 Tips Managers Can Use to Lead Through COVID's Rising Waters

biggest driver of cash out and cash in: Accounts payable accrue during selling, and accounts receivable are mainly determined in most firms by what’s sold at what price and how fast. In surviving and recovering from a crisis, increasing close rates, the efficiency of a... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

Web

Teaching Quantitative Material - Christensen Center for Teaching & Learning

an analysis. Core Principles Although case instructors exhibit a variety of styles and approaches in teaching quantitative materials, many incorporate the following principles: View quant segments as “workshops”—not polished performances... View Details

09 Dec 2019
Research & Ideas

Identify Great Customers from Their First Purchase

we’re able to open the box,” she says. Retailers and other organizations, such as charities, that seek to segment high-value patrons for promotions and appeals should be thinking about what data they collect, Ascarza says, and how they... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Retail; Service

TeachingInterests

Managing the Future of Work (MBA Education—Elective Curriculum)

By: Christopher T. Stanton

The nature and scope of work is changing rapidly, creating massive business challenges in the shadow of broader political and social shifts. HBS launched a major initiative in 2017 on Managing the Future of Work to define these workplace issues and... View Details

June 2011 (Revised May 2012)
Case

L'Oréal: Global Brand, Local Knowledge

By: Rebecca M. Henderson and Ryan Johnson

Worldwide, and in the U.S. marketplace in particular, the French cachet of L'Oréal was one of its most powerful marketing tools. However, with the opening up of emerging markets, L'Oréal had to cater to a diverse customer base: an aging population in the West, ethnic... View Details

Keywords: Globalization; Brands and Branding; Marketing Communications; Change Management; Sales; Emerging Markets; Segmentation; Innovation and Invention; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; France; United States