Publications

2010
Article

The Strategic Use of Brand Biographies

By: Jill Avery, Neeru Paharia, Anat Keinan and Juliet Schor

We introduce the concept of a brand biography to describe an emerging trend in branding in which firms author a dynamic, historical account of the events that have shaped the brand over time. Using a particular type of brand biography, "the underdog," we empirically... View Details

12 Jul 2016
First Look

July 12, 2016

ASOS was large by online standards, traditional fashion retailers were building their own online sales capabilities, and Amazon was expanding its apparel offering. Meanwhile, new online competitors were emerging at a rapid rate. After... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

14 May 2013
First Look

First Look: May 14

service level to be associated with a 12% increase in demand from retailers, where historical service level is the type 1 service level performance of the apparel manufacturer over the prior year. Further, we find that retailers that... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

02 Mar 2010
First Look

First Look: March 2

contemporary apparel and home furnishings that STFC then helps to market and sell around the world. Organized as a producers' cooperative, STFC is owned by its artisan members. STFC is thinking of changing to for-profit status because it... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

15 Jan 2013
First Look

First Look: January 15

apparel market, the company started to face intense competition from small and large Indian and foreign retailers. The company's chairman, Dr. Nalli Kuppusamy Chetty, announced a $25 million expansion plan and proposed the opening of 12... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

26 Feb 2009
News

Last Look - March 2009

Our thanks to HRPBA ’60-ers Sandy Krickovic Self and Nancy Needham Merrill, who recognized themselves as the second and third models in the photo. Self wrote: “In Malcolm McNair’s Marketing class, we were studying the women’s retail clothing market and how there was... View Details

Keywords: Keith Larson; Apparel Manufacturing; Apparel Manufacturing; Apparel Manufacturing; Apparel Manufacturing

June 2022
Case

Zalando: Becoming the Starting Point for Fashion

By: Antonio Moreno, Leela Nageswaran, Emilie Billaud and Federica Gabrieli

Born in 2008 as a small startup selling flip flops, by mid-2021 Zalando had turned into an online fashion company with an assortment of more than 4,500 international brands, 45 million active customers, and a presence in 23 European markets. An essential component in... View Details

Keywords: Transition; Customer Value and Value Chain; Digital Platforms; Distribution; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Infrastructure; Logistics; Service Operations; Strategy; Business Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Europe

Educators

10 Jul 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, July 10, 2018

higher-priced items first can simultaneously increase the average selling price and the overall purchase rate. We test these predictions in a series of field experiments conducted with an online fashion and apparel retailer. Using... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

February 22, 2023
Article

How to Seed Organic Marketing in a Video-First World

By: Ayelet Israeli, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Matt Higgins

Early direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies relied on plentiful capital and low-cost digital marketing to power growth. But as this sector has matured, capital is more constrained, social media is more cluttered, and customer acquisition costs are rising. DTC companies... View Details

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28 Oct 2008
First Look

First Look: October 28, 2008

the online, Chicago-based t-shirt company, was not your typical fashion apparel company. The company, run by Jake Nickell, Jacob DeHart, and Jeffrey Kalmikoff, turned the fashion business on its head by enabling anyone to submit designs... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

November 2010
Article

Capitalizing on the Underdog Effect

By: Anat Keinan, Neeru Paharia and Jill Avery

This article presents the results of a study that investigated the use of the underdog effect in marketing. The idea of triumphing over disadvantages by impassioned determination is said to be a powerfully positive image, which can lead consumers to choose a brand over... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Brand Management; Brands; Brand Positioning; Competitive Positioning; Competition; Brands and Branding; Advertising Campaigns; Marketing Communications; Marketing Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

February 2011
Article

The Underdog Effect: The Marketing of Disadvantage and Determination Through Brand Biography

By: Neeru Paharia, Anat Keinan, Jill Avery and Juliet B. Schor

We introduce the concept of an underdog brand biography (UBB) to describe an emerging trend in branding in which firms author an historical account of their humble origins, lack of resources, and determined struggle against the odds. We identify two essential... View Details

21 Aug 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, August 21, 2018

accuracy of daily sales forecasts. We collaborated with an online apparel retailer to assemble a dataset that combines (1) detailed internal operational information, including data on sales, advertising, and promotions, as well as (2)... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

08 Nov 2016
First Look

November 8, 2016

Abstract—This working paper examines the impact of two entrepreneurs who offered alternative paths to reach their shared goal of a more sustainable world. Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins were respective founders of the prominent outdoor View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

15 Jul 2008
First Look

First Look: July 15, 2008

customer-focused approach. Purchase this case: http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=808166 Sara Campbell Ltd. (A) Harvard Business School Case 108-070 Describes a situation in which Sara Campbell, the CEO of a women's View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

12 Feb 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, February 12, 2019

more products. We test and confirm these predictions in a series of field experiments conducted with a dominant online fashion and apparel retailer. Furthermore, using information in historical transaction data about each consumer, we... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

07 Apr 2009
First Look

First Look: April 7, 2009

109-070 Commercial Director Prado wonders how to leverage the loyalty card information to prepare the fall 2008 budget. The case discusses the value of subjective and objective information for profit-planning purposes. Spanish children's View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

September–October 2022
Article

Should Your Company Sell on Amazon?: Reach Comes at a Price

By: Ayelet Israeli, Leonard A. Schlesinger, Matt Higgins and Sabir Semerkant

Selling on Amazon allows brands to reach millions of consumers—but that exposure comes with costs. They include smaller margins, more competition, the risk of commoditization, and less knowledge about customers. In this article, the authors present a scorecard to... View Details