Publications

October 2016 (Revised April 2018)
Case

ASICS: Chasing a 2020 Vision

By: Elie Ofek, Nobuo Sato and Akiko Kanno

In early 2016, Motoi Oyama, president and CEO of ASICS, a major sports apparel and footwear manufacturer based in Japan, lays out his company’s growth plan for the upcoming 5 years. The new plan set ambitious goals in terms of revenue and profit increases. At the heart... View Details

Keywords: Brand Management; Sports Apparel; Competitive Positioning; Direct To Consumer Marketing; Retail Formats; Lifestyle Brands; Information Technology; Competition; Brands and Branding; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Digital Platforms; Product Positioning; Marketing Channels; Sports; Retail Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

August 2019
Case

Walmart's Omnichannel Strategy: Revolution or Miscalculation?

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Karen Elterman

This case describes Walmart's omnichannel strategy in 2018 as it battled Amazon for online retail market share. The case discusses Walmart's early forays into online retail, as well as its 2018 strategy, which aimed to integrate Walmart's enormous brick and mortar... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Strategy; Internet and the Web; Distribution; Distribution Channels; Competition; Retail Industry; Bentonville; Arkansas; New Jersey; Seattle; United States

24 Apr 2019
Research & Ideas

The 'Amazon Effect' Is Changing Online Price Competition—and the Fed Needs to Pay Attention

prices across channels or locations,” Cavallo says. “So, while retailers currently have the technology to customize prices based on demographics, fairness concerns are limiting their ability to do so.” Historically, there has been more... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland; Retail

04 Oct 2021
What Do You Think?

How Do We Make Sure the Right People End Up with Power in Organizations?

(iStockphoto/Rawpixel) The subject of power has a certain intoxicating aura about it. Maybe that’s why I studied and wrote about interorganizational power in channels of distribution while teaching courses in marketing too long ago. The... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

May 2009
Case

Ceres Gardening Company: Funding Growth in Organic Products

By: John H. McArthur and Sunru Yong

Ceres is a leading player in the growing organic gardening industry, selling seeds, small plants, and related items. Their distribution depends heavily on retail sales through independent nurseries and garden centers. Because these small dealers are unable to finance... View Details

Keywords: Accounting Procedures; Marketing; Business Growth; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Marketing Strategy; Expansion; Business Growth and Maturation; Marketing Channels; Credit; Financial Statements; Sales; Retail Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

November 2016 (Revised April 2018)
Case

reMarkable: e-Writing the Future

By: Elie Ofek and Curtis Hsu

Magnus Wanberg is the creator of reMarkable, a breakthrough e-writer device set apart from similar products on the market by having solved the frustrating “slow ink” problem typically experienced on pen-based electronic devices, thus providing a “pen and paper” like... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Marketing; Innovation Management; Go To Market Strategy; Marketing Plan; Target Market; Digital Devices; Consumer Electronics; Forecasting; Information Technology; Marketing Strategy; Innovation and Management; Marketing Channels; Entrepreneurship; Forecasting and Prediction; Product Marketing; Product Development; Electronics Industry

18 Nov 2015
Research & Ideas

Who Really Determines CEO Salary Packages?

options), and in terms of how CEO performance is measured. THE NETWORK EFFECT Gallani hypothesized two possible culprits for the isomorphism. The first was the issue of interlocking directorates. Many directors belong to the boards of multiple firms, which can create... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Consulting

Web

Dean LeBaron | Baker Library | Bloomberg Center | Harvard Business School

Skip to Main Content HBS Entrepreneurs Collection Profiles About This Collection Contact Us Special Collections Search Paul Baier PurchasingCenter.com/Excara Frank Batten Weather Channel Steven B. Belkin Trans National Group (TNG) Hakeem... View Details

04 Feb 2022
Book

Beyond the Cold War: Reinventing Socialism in 5 Countries

Although many view socialism through the rigid lens of Soviet orthodoxy, it has always been a work in progress and an evolving and adaptable ideology on a global scale, says Harvard Business School Marvin Bower Associate Professor Jeremy Friedman. In his new book, Ripe... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

21 Sep 2023
Blog Post

Hands-on Learning About Global Markets

its primarily word-of-mouth marketing strategies and develop more scalable channels to reach new customers. By increasing Ellie Care’s client base, it would also help the company raise capital. Working as a team on the project was part of... View Details

October 2009 (Revised June 2010)
Case

Hulu: An Evil Plot to Destroy the World?

By: Anita Elberse and Sunil Gupta

In July 2009, Jason Kilar, the chief executive officer of Hulu, is debating whether the online video aggregator should move away from a purely advertising-supported model, and whether it should participate in an industry-wide initiative to develop and test... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Business Model; Television Entertainment; Distribution Channels; Service Operations; Internet and the Web; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry

Web

James Sharpe | Baker Library | Bloomberg Center | Harvard Business School

Skip to Main Content HBS Entrepreneurs Collection Profiles About This Collection Contact Us Special Collections Search Paul Baier PurchasingCenter.com/Excara Frank Batten Weather Channel Steven B. Belkin Trans National Group (TNG) Hakeem... View Details

16 Jun 2010
Working Paper Summaries

Does Diversification Create Value in the Presence of External Financing Constraints? Evidence from the 2008-2009 Financial Crisis

Keywords: by Venkat Kuppuswamy & Belén Villalonga

March 2019
Case

DayTwo: Going to Market with Gut Microbiome

By: Ayelet Israeli and David Lane

DayTwo is a young Israeli startup that applies research on the gut microbiome and machine learning algorithms to deliver personalized nutritional recommendations to its users in order to minimize blood sugar spikes after meals. After a first year of trial rollout in... View Details

22 Feb 2021
Book

Reaching Today's Omnichannel Customer Takes a New Sales Strategy

last spring, at the height of pandemic lockdowns. And before the pandemic, social media use had been flat for four years as these advertising channels became more cluttered and distrusted, offering marketers diminishing returns. “Managers... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz

11 May 2009
Research & Ideas

The IT Leader’s Hero Quest

mean?" Barton channeled his frustration into an exasperated hand movement, which promptly toppled his coffee cup. Hot liquid flowed from the table onto his lap. "We don't know," said Ruben. "It could be a coincidence... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Web

Sarah McConville | About

Business Review Group and HBP Corporate Learning lines of business, as well as HBR Enterprise sales & solutions, and strategic partnerships. She also serves as Chief Marketing Officer, driving cohesive positioning, brand, and channel... View Details

August 2019
Case

Apex Ski Boots

By: Kate Barasz and John T. Gourville

Apex Ski Boots has introduced a new ski boot that, due to its radical design, is meeting resistance in the marketplace from many retailers, ski experts, and consumers. The company must decide how best to drive sales in the face of this resistance. View Details

Keywords: Go-to-market Strategy; Strategic Change; Marketing Strategy; Distribution Channels; Sales; Change Management; Sports Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry