Publications

August 2014 (Revised October 2014)
Case

Beyoncé

By: Anita Elberse and Stacie Smith

In December 2013, music superstar Beyoncé is about to surprise her fans with the release of her self-titled album. The team at her company Parkwood Entertainment, which general manager Lee Anne Callahan-Longo described as "a management, music, and production company... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Beyoncé; Internet and the Web; Music Entertainment; Distribution Channels; Product Launch; Music Industry

10 Nov 2011
Working Paper Summaries

Spatial Determinants of Entrepreneurship in India

Keywords: by Ejaz Ghani, William R. Kerr & Stephen O'Connell

Web

Your Alumni Community - Alumni

editor, or just want to send us a note, please do. We'd love to hear from you. Social Media Feeds I’m Reagan! A rising EC & HKS jointee spending the summer at J.Crew in NYC. Follow along today for a peek behind the scenes of the New York fashion world and my ongoing... View Details

08 May 2024
News

Michael Bloomberg (MBA 1966) Awarded Medal of Freedom

transformed how we consume information. He’s changed us. He’s challenged us, as well, to solve the toughest challenges from gun violence to climate change. And as mayor, he rebuilt the city of New York after 9/11, channeling our spirit of... View Details

05 Jul 2022
What Do You Think?

Have We Seen the Peak of Just-in-Time Inventory Management?

distribution channel on overall inventory levels and costs. One thing that may have helped generate the HBS offer was an experiment I performed using my own crude version of what would become known as the “beer game.” In my approach, my... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Manufacturing; Shipping; Transportation

19 Apr 2010
Research & Ideas

The History of Beauty

largest, most professionally managed global companies find it hard to predict the success of product launches, and can stumble badly. One estimate is that 90 percent of new fragrance launches fail. Getting the word out to consumers, and getting product through the... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Beauty & Cosmetics

25 Aug 2014
HBS Case

Starbucks Reinvented

singer of U2, to announce a partnership to channel proceeds from holiday beverage sales to the Global Fund in support of AIDS relief programs in Africa. The New Orleans conference was a turning point for Starbucks; in the... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Food & Beverage

January 2021 (Revised March 2021)
Case

THE YES: Reimagining the Future of E-Commerce with Artificial Intelligence (AI)

By: Jill Avery, Ayelet Israeli and Emma von Maur

THE YES, a multi-brand shopping app launched in May 2020 offered a new type of buying experience for women’s fashion, driven by a sophisticated algorithm that used data science and machine learning to create and deliver a personalized store for every shopper, based on... View Details

Keywords: Data; Data Analytics; Artificial Intelligence; AI; AI Algorithms; AI Creativity; Fashion; Retail; Retail Analytics; E-Commerce Strategy; Platform; Platforms; Big Data; Preference Elicitation; Preference Prediction; Predictive Analytics; App Development; ＂Marketing Analytics＂; Advertising; Mobile App; Mobile Marketing; Apparel; Online Advertising; Referral Rewards; Referrals; Female Ceo; Female Entrepreneur; Female Protagonist; Analytics and Data Science; Analysis; Creativity; Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Consumer Behavior; Demand and Consumers; Forecasting and Prediction; Marketing Channels; Digital Marketing; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; AI and Machine Learning; E-commerce; Digital Platforms; Fashion Industry; Retail Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States

11 Apr 2023
News

A Rose by Any Other Name: Supply Chains and Carbon Emissions in the Flower Industry

01 Jun 2023
News

Pet Project

Maev recently launched an Amazon option for one-off orders (as opposed to Maev’s subscription plan), with the strategy of using Amazon as an awareness channel rather than for actual distribution. But how should the entrepreneur think... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Miscellaneous Store Retailers; Retail Trade; Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, and Book Stores; Retail Trade

Web

Founder - Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Stay in Touch You can get more information, updates, and alerts by subscribing to our slack channel and joining our mailing list. Subscribe to Rock Center slack channel Join our... View Details

08 Oct 2020
Research & Ideas

Keep Your Weary Workers Engaged and Motivated

personality. Zoom fatigue is real. Not all bonding has to be in the moment. Take advantage of asynchronous communication with a page or Slack channel for sharing recipes, articles, and snapshots. The leveling effect of remote work may... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

01 Dec 2023
News

Case Study: Staking a Claim

Illustration by Nhung Lê Kate Terry (MBA 2005) knows that no one attends their fifth-grade career fair and comes home hoping to pursue a career in insurance—but that’s exactly where she wound up. “I really fell in love with it,” she says. As cofounder and CEO of... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Insurance Carriers and Related Activities; Finance

01 Sep 2023
News

Hands-on Learning About Global Markets

seniors in many African countries are more integrated into family life. The students were tasked with helping the startup expand its primarily word-of-mouth marketing strategies and develop more scalable channels to reach new customers.... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Gillespie

14 Jun 2021
Op-Ed

When Your Nerves Get the Best of You, Change the Narrative

a backyard, toting a ball and bat and wearing his baseball cap. “I’m the greatest hitter in the world,” he announces. Then he tosses the ball into the air. A swing—and a miss. “Strike one!” he yells. "We too have the ability to channel... View Details

Keywords: by Francesca Gino

February 2023
Case

Roblox: Virtual Commerce in the Metaverse

By: Ayelet Israeli and Nicole Tempest Keller

In 2022, Roblox had 58.8 million daily active users, including over half of all children and teens under the age of 16 in the United States. Roblox, a free-to-use “co-experience platform”, allowed users to come together in immersive 3D experiences to socialize, work,... View Details

Web

Women at HBS - Alumni

quality research, analysis, and summaries in easy-to-read reports. Alumnae-Led Resources The Acceleration Project (TAP) , cofounded by HBS alumna Jane Veron (MBA 1991) , offers consulting opportunities to high-caliber women who wish to View Details

March 2016 (Revised May 2018)
Case

Reinventing Best Buy

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

On March 1, 2017, Best Buy Company, Inc., North America’s largest retailer of consumer electronics and appliances, announced a third year of comparable-store sales increases and a 20.8% increase in domestic comparable online sales. These results were in marked contrast... View Details

Keywords: Best Buy; Hubert Joly; Renew Blue; Showrooming; Webrooming; E-commerce; E-Commerce Strategy; Online Retail; Multichannel Retailing; Omnichannel; Marketplaces; Turnaround; Consumer Electronics; Consumer Electronics Accessories; Appliances; Stores-within-stores; Store Experience; Store Size; Store Pickup; Store Management; Delivery; Delivery Models; Amazon; Amazon.com; Pricing Strategy; Business Subsidiaries; Business Units; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; For-Profit Firms; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Satisfaction; Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Music Entertainment; Television Entertainment; Theater Entertainment; Price; Profit; Revenue; Geographic Scope; Multinational Firms and Management; Business History; Cost; Selection and Staffing; Reports; Technological Innovation; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Human Capital; Leading Change; Business or Company Management; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Teams; Brands and Branding; Product Marketing; Consumer Behavior; Demand and Consumers; Media; Distribution; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Distribution Channels; Infrastructure; Product; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Public Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Programs; Groups and Teams; Sales; Salesforce Management; Strategy; Adaptation; Business Strategy; Competition; Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Expansion; Information Technology; Information Infrastructure; Information Technology; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Resource Allocation; Computer Industry; Electronics Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Information Technology Industry; Retail Industry; Service Industry; Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Video Game Industry; United States; Minnesota; Minneapolis; Saint Paul; St. Paul