Publications

June 2016
Teaching Note

Relating to Peapod

By: Jill Avery and Susan Fournier

This case concerns the topics of relationship marketing, customer acquisition and retention, brand loyalty, service failure and recovery, new product introduction, and the use of consumer ethnography to study consumer behavior. Specifically, the case explores the... View Details

Keywords: Brand Management; Customer Relationship Management; CRM; Customer Behavior; Consumer Behavior; Retailing; Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Marketing Channels; E-commerce; Retail Industry; United States

18 Apr 2005
Research & Ideas

Prosper with Multi-Channel Retailing

For decades, major retailers offered customers only two methods of purchasing: directly at the store or from catalogs sent through the mail. With the advent of the Internet, retail companies that offered only one or two channels suddenly... View Details

Keywords: by Julie Jette; Consumer Products; Retail

June 2007 (Revised January 2008)
Case

BBC Worldwide: Global Strategy

By: John A. Quelch and Carin-Isabel Knoop

In January 2007, John Smith, chief executive officer of BBC Worldwide (BBC WW), the commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), was preparing to meet with his senior managers to discuss BBC WW's global strategy options. BBC WW exploited and exported... View Details

Keywords: Global Strategy; Brands and Branding; Marketing Channels; Expansion; Internet; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Great Britain

09 Oct 2017
Research & Ideas

Fearing Fox News, Democratic-leaning Companies Delayed Negative Announcements

world through television and print publications, as they had for decades. There was, however, one big media game changer: the Fox News Channel (FNC). Founded in 1996 by Australian media magnate Rupert Murdoch, FNC was an unusual newcomer... View Details

Keywords: by Jen Deaderick; Media & Broadcasting

August 1983 (Revised May 1985)
Case

Jamestown Co.

By: Benson P. Shapiro and Edward J. Hoff

In May 1983 Ms. Katherine O'Brien, vice president of marketing, was deciding whether Jamestown should discontinue the use of independent representatives in favor of a direct company salesforce. Jamestown sold informal stoneware dinnerware through department and gift... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Leadership Style; Marketing Channels; Salesforce Management

December 2013 (Revised October 2014)
Case

The Munich Oktoberfest: From Local Tradition to Global Capitalism

By: Juan Alcacer, Christian Bettinger and Andreas Philippi

Oktoberfest, an annual festival held in Munich (Germany) for more than 200 years, has grown in recent decades into a hugely popular event that attracts 7 million visitors annually, a large proportion of which are foreign. In fact, Oktoberfest's global appeal is so... View Details

Keywords: Value Creation; Product Positioning; Marketing Channels; Global Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry; Ohio; Munich; Brazil; Bangalore; Beijing

January 1980 (Revised August 1985)
Case

Cumberland Metal Industries: Engineered Products Division--1980

By: Benson P. Shapiro

Cumberland Metal Industries has developed a new product to help contractors drive piles faster. They are trying to decide how to price it. Provides substantial information on the industry, competition, etc. Students must decide what factors are relevant in making an... View Details

Keywords: Price; Information; Marketing Channels; Distribution Channels; Product Development; Consumer Products Industry

18 Apr 2005
Research & Ideas

Selling Luxury to Everyone

everybody is getting into the cosmetic business.— Tyler Morse, Bliss "We'll know exactly what brands are performing well, exactly what sizes are selling," she said. Instant Feedback Morse said controlling a retail channel is a... View Details

Keywords: by Julie Jette; Consumer Products

24 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

Global Brands: Connecting With Consumers Across Boundaries

to do with those who are in charge of marketing communications. As a result, the various channels of communication are out of alignment, and the negative impact on a brand can be considerable. If a product... View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner

August 1988 (Revised January 1992)
Case

Hewlett-Packard (A): Organizing New Product Sales Channels--1986

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Joseph G. Finegold

Keywords: Sales; Product Launch; Marketing Channels; Computer Industry

Find at Harvard

01 Sep 2018
News

Case Study: A Good Fit

vendor agreement with a compelling business model, I suspect the superior path is the new opportunity. —J.W. Penland (MBA 1996) Definitely branch out beyond wellness, which is full of hype and competitors. Preferably go with a few apps that might tap into the same... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint

October 1999 (Revised September 2005)
Case

Eddie Bauer, Inc.

By: David E. Bell and Ann Leamon

Eddie Bauer has decided to coordinate its merchandising strategy (price, selection) across its stores and catalog. But with e-commerce, is this still sensible? View Details

Keywords: Management; Brands and Branding; Marketing Channels; Product Positioning; Business Strategy; Internet

2015
Working Paper

Match Your Own Price? Self-Matching as a Retailer's Multichannel Pricing Strategy

By: Pavel Kireyev, Vineet Kumar and Elie Ofek

Multichannel retailing has created several new strategic choices for firms. With respect to pricing, an important decision is whether to offer a "self-matching policy." Self-matching allows a multichannel retailer to offer the lowest of its online and in-store prices... View Details

Keywords: Price Self-matching; Multichannel Retailing; Pricing Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Price; Distribution Channels; Supply and Industry; Retail Industry

Read Now

August 2014 (Revised March 2015)
Case

Reinventing Retail: ShopRunner's Network Bet

By: Benjamin Edelman and Karen Webster

ShopRunner considers adjustments to improve its online shopping service which offers no-charge two-day shipping as well as easy returns and other conveniences. Competitors' diverse pricing models and ancillary benefits raise questions about how to structure and price... View Details

Keywords: Shopping Club; Coop; Pricing; Shipping; Marketing Channels; Global Strategy; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Information Technology Industry; Retail Industry; United States; China

August 2018 (Revised February 2019)
Case

Shindigz

By: Frank Cespedes

Shindigz provides party and celebratory items for various occasions and events through its branded online channel, through third-party retail and wholesale channels, and external online marketplaces. The case focuses on pricing challenges facing a venture with an... View Details

Keywords: Ecommerce; Pricing; Price; Strategy; Decision Making; Brands and Branding; Distribution Channels; E-commerce; Consumer Products Industry

2014
Book

Retail Revolution: Will Your Brick & Mortar Store Survive?

By: Rajiv Lal, Jose B. Alvarez and Dan Greenberg

In Retail Revolution, the authors go beyond the common belief of retail as a monolithic industry and provide a framework that any brick-and-mortar retailer can use to respond to the eCommerce threat. Through six examples, this book demonstrates how this... View Details

Keywords: Business Ventures; Internet and the Web; Marketing Strategy; Distribution Channels; Retail Industry

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February 1990 (Revised August 2001)
Case

Merloni Elettrodomestici SpA: The Transit Point Experiment

By: Janice H. Hammond and Maura G Kelly

Merloni Elettrodomestici is a leading Italian manufacturer of domestic appliances. In 1986, an exposition for Merloni customers is scheduled at its Milano regional warehouse. During the two-month period preceding the event, when the warehouse must be free of inventory,... View Details

Keywords: Logistics; Marketing Channels; Planning; Time Management; Distribution Channels; Competitive Advantage; Customer Relationship Management; Information Technology; Consumer Products Industry; Italy

January 2009
Teaching Note

Biocon: Launching a New Cancer Drug in India (TN)

By: Sunil Gupta and Das Narayandas

Teaching Note for [508026]. View Details

Keywords: Product Launch; Market Timing; Price; Distribution Channels; Marketing Strategy; Health Care and Treatment; Biotechnology Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; India