Publications

August 2012
Case

ARISE: A Destination-for-a-Day Spa

By: Michael Beer and Lynda St. Clair

A new Dallas-based health and beauty spa aims to use a highly distinctive human resource system as the foundation of its competitive strategy. By encouraging employees to act as "personal wellness coaches" (PWCs) with high commitment and broad responsibilities, the... View Details

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Motivation and Incentives; Organizational Design; Organizational Culture; Service Delivery; Competitive Strategy; Innovation Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Texas

October 2020 (Revised August 2022)
Case

Epic Games: Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite

By: Andy Wu, Miaomiao Zhang and Christopher Zhang

In the midst of intensifying public and political attention towards the market power of big technology, Epic Games in 2020 challenged the status quo that has existed for years in the Apple iOS and Google Android mobile application marketplaces and payment systems.... View Details

Keywords: Mobile Platforms; Mobile App Industry; Mobile Payment Systems; Antitrust; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Lawsuits and Litigation; Entrepreneurship; Competitive Strategy; Digital Platforms; United States

25 Aug 2014
News

Jonathan M. Nelson, MBA 1983

companies, VoiceStream Wireless (now called T-Mobile USA), and also launched Hulu and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (although Nelson admits to being an avid Red Sox fan). By following his passion, Jonathan Nelson has... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young

Profile

Melcolm Ruffin

internship he'll be with Twitter's Global Content Partnerships team focused on sports, news, and entertainment content deals. Meanwhile, he recognizes that within HBS, he has "come full circle – I'm now among the leaders of the... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment/Media

18 Feb 2019
Book

What’s Really Disrupting Business? It’s Not Technology

from their point of view: where they live, what they eat, what they wear, how they move, how they heal themselves, how they educate themselves, and how they entertain themselves. When consumers change their behavior, the first signs can... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Beauty & Cosmetics; Insurance; Service; Retail

May 2022
Case

Executive Decision-Making at Zola

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Michael Roberto

In April 2020, Rachel Jarrett, President and COO of wedding technology company Zola, called a meeting with the organization’s key decision-makers. The company had previously launched three business expansions: a vendor marketplace, a wedding apparel division, and a... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Voting; Decision Choices and Conditions; Management Skills; Management; Management Style; Organizations; Organizational Culture; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

19 Jan 2022
Blog Post

From Retail to HBS: How I’m Building a Career Path at the Intersection of Arts, Culture, and Business

interesting and inspiring people, it also allowed me to land my ideal summer internship on the Digital Strategy & Investments team at Sony Music Entertainment (alongside two HBS grads). Lastly, on a more personal note, I am grateful... View Details

May 2013
Case

Altius Golf and the Fighter Brand

By: Robert J. Dolan and Sunru Yong

Altius Golf is the clear leader in the golf ball market despite a long-term decline in the number of golfers and a drop in sales following the financial crisis. The firm has maintained its position by introducing generations of advanced, super-premium golf balls that... View Details

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Competitive Advantage; Decision Choices and Conditions; Distribution Channels; Sports; Financial Crisis; Brands and Branding; Segmentation; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

August 1992 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Euro Disney: The First 100 Days

By: Gary W. Loveman and Leonard A. Schlesinger

The Walt Disney Co. theme parks historically have thrived on the basis of a formula stressing excellent customer service and a magnificent physical environment. The formula has proven successful in Japan, as well as the United States. With the controversial opening of... View Details

Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Service Operations; Service Delivery; Corporate Strategy; Customer Focus and Relationships; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Japan; France; United States

29 Jan 2021
Op-Ed

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

reinforce the positive consequences of taking the vaccine, such as the ability to visit family, go to work, and have more entertainment options. With those factors in mind, we offer three customer-centric recommendations to speed adoption... View Details

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

Web

2022 Reunion Presentations - Alumni

that leave their relationships and integrity intact, facilitate learning from the experience, and position them for their next career move. Slides The Future of Entertainment, Media, and Sports Professor Anita Elberse + More Info – Less Info What does the future of... View Details

28 Apr 2003
Research & Ideas

Supply Chain Risk: Deal With It

president of strategy and new business development for books and entertainment retailer Borders Group (Ann Arbor, Mich.). "There's not as much slack as there once was." "Slack" in the supply chain refers primarily to... View Details

Keywords: by David Stauffer

June 2009 (Revised February 2010)
Case

Cirque du Soleil -- The High-Wire Act of Building Sustainable Partnerships

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Maxime Aucoin

The case describes the history and business model of Cirque du Soleil (CdS). The case allows for a rich discussion and analysis of Cirque du Soleil's business model with an emphasis on how it interacts with that of MGM Mirage. Le Cirque and MGM's business models... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Investment; Profit; Globalized Markets and Industries; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Partners and Partnerships; Trust; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

May 2002 (Revised May 2003)
Case

Performance Indicator

Performance Indicator is a start-up that holds patents on the use of color-change technology to indicate when golf balls have been damaged by exposure to water. Because golfers put two to five used golf balls into play for every one new ball they buy, the used golf... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Patents; Entrepreneurship; Sports; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry