Publications

October 2010 (Revised April 2013)
Case

Bridge International Academies: A School in a Box

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Katharine Lee

Bridge International was founded in 2007 as a for-profit social enterprise to address the educational needs of poor children in Africa. Ten schools were operational in Kenya by 2010. The plan was to franchise nearly 3,000 schools all over Africa. The case is meant to... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Education; Growth and Development; Franchise Ownership; Strategic Planning; Problems and Challenges; Social Enterprise; Segmentation; Education Industry; Africa; Kenya

December 1990 (Revised December 1993)
Case

Australian Paper Manufacturers (A)

By: David M. Upton and Joshua D. Margolis

Describes a company which has broken an unwritten cordial agreement amongst the three Australian paper manufacturers to split the domestic market three ways by market segment. The company invades another's "territory" with advanced technology, quality, and,... View Details

Keywords: Agreements and Arrangements; Production; Information Technology; Ethics; Situation or Environment; Product Development; Segmentation; Expansion; Financial Strategy; Pulp and Paper Industry; Australia

17 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

Where Did My Shopping Mall Go?

delivered to my house tonight, where it will be set up and ready to go. Lal: Furniture is often sold that way today. It's a showroom where your order is customized and delivered in six weeks. Q: What retail segments are most vulnerable to... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Retail

19 Dec 2012
Research & Ideas

Affordable Housing: Israel and the United States

"ghost" condominiums, coupled with immigration, fuel the demand. The supply of housing is limited, due to the topography of the nation, the need to live near jobs, and the fact that the government owns 90% of the land. Add to the Israeli conundrum the View Details

Keywords: by Nicolas P. Retsinas, John H. Vogel & Charles S. Laven; Construction; Real Estate

07 Mar 2005
Research & Ideas

The Rise of Innovation in Asia

industry, and even a country to the head of the class almost overnight, said Kiyotaka Fujii, president and CEO of SAP Japan Co., Ltd. That lesson was learned by Japan in the 1980s, when it was rising to prominence in some segments of the... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

January 2004 (Revised October 2006)
Case

Electronic Arts in Online Gaming

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Justin Wong

Electronic Arts (EA), the world's largest independent video-game publisher, must decide whether to support Microsoft's initiatives in online gaming. Historically, EA has been platform-agnostic, releasing versions of its titles for all major console platforms. However,... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Digital Platforms; Network Effects; Policy; Customer Focus and Relationships; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Revenue; Segmentation; Sales; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Electronics Industry

December 1992 (Revised October 1993)
Case

BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine Seeks to De-Yuppify Itself

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Wendy Smith Schille

Tracks changes in the luxury auto market during the 1980s and early 1990s. Shifts in target consumer behavior--particularly the yuppie lifestyle--serve as the basis for manufacturer modifications of product line, positioning, and advertising. The climax of the case is... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Change Management; Transformation; Brands and Branding; Product Positioning; Production; Luxury; Segmentation; Auto Industry

November 2008 (Revised November 2008)
Case

Cyworld: Creating and Capturing Value in a Social Network

By: Sunil Gupta and Sangman Han

In May 2008, the new CEO of Cyworld, a social network company in Korea, had to decide how to create and capture value from his rapidly growing user base. Cyworld was founded in 1999, and in 2003 it was acquired by SK Telecom, a leading mobile service provider in Korea.... View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Consumer Behavior; Social and Collaborative Networks; Segmentation; Value Creation; South Korea

06 Nov 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, November 6, 2018

average, NPEs appear to behave as opportunistic “patent trolls.” NPEs sue cash-rich firms and target cash in business segments unrelated to alleged infringement at essentially the same frequency as they target cash in View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

04 May 2020
Research & Ideas

Predictions, Prophets, and Restarting Your Business

and recovering from a crisis, increasing close rates, the efficiency of a sales model, and its segment focus are strategic issues, not only sales management tasks. Consider: when commerce resumes, what’s the impact on your business from... View Details

Keywords: by Frank V. Cespedes

19 Nov 2014
HBS Case

Marketing Marijuana

segment shows different dynamics in terms of its sensitivity to price, marketing, and convenience. Medicinal consumers, for example, do not care so much about variety. "Once you find the strain and supply source that best alleviates... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage

November 1999 (Revised February 2000)
Case

Granny's Goodies, Inc.

By: Das Narayandas and Katherine B. Korman

The young entrepreneurs of Granny's Goodies, Inc., a corporate gift package specialist, face the challenge of finding ways to create consistent revenue streams and reduce sales costs. Outside of a few long-term contracts, the two founders have had to work very hard for... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Customer Relationship Management; Entrepreneurship; Cost Management; Marketing Strategy; Product Design; Problems and Challenges; Sales; Segmentation; Service Industry