Publications

February 2022
Case

US Foods: Driving Post-Pandemic Success?

By: David E. Bell, Olivia Hull and Amy Klopfenstein

In November 2021, US Foods CEO Pietro Satriano must decide his company’s trajectory following the COVID-19 pandemic. US Foods suffered due to business closures and social distancing during the height of the pandemic. While the situation improved following the return of... View Details

October 2022 (Revised December 2022)
Case

Aphro Beverages

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Amram Migdal

This case focuses on distribution, sales, and product decisions as Aphro Beverages reaches an inflection point in its growth trajectory. In 2020, Aphro Beverages, based in Accra, Ghana, successfully launched its brand and brought two new alcoholic spirits products to... View Details

10 Oct 2011
Research & Ideas

Retailing Revolution: Category Killers on the Brink

Interestingly, these services subsidize the declining productivity of key item and category sales in the store. This idea of subsidizing competitively challenged parts of the offer is a common occurrence in retail. For example, the grocery View Details

Keywords: by Rajiv Lal & Jose B. Alvarez; Retail

23 Jun 2008
Research & Ideas

Innovative Ways to Encourage Personal Savings

essentially "raffle off" the interest pot each period. Savers give up a large chance of a small return for a small chance of a large, life-changing return. I have studied these programs in England, where they have been run for over 50 years, as well as in South Africa.... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Financial Services

March 2016 (Revised May 2018)
Case

ASOS PLC

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

Launched in 2000, ASOS was one of the world’s largest online fashion specialists in 2018. Focusing on young consumers aged 16–25 years, the company offered over 85,000 items on its websites, many times more than the largest fashion stores, and added several thousand... View Details

Keywords: ASOS; AsSeenOnScreen; Online Fashion; Online Apparel; Nick Beighton; Nick Robertson; E-commerce; E-Commerce Strategy; Online Retail; Multichannel Retailing; Omnichannel; Social Media; Marketplaces; Shipping; Advertising; Digital Marketing; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; Business Startups; For-Profit Firms; Customer Focus and Relationships; Age; Gender; Currency Exchange Rate; Profit; Revenue; Geography; Geographic Scope; Global Range; Global Strategy; Globalized Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Business History; Selection and Staffing; Journals and Magazines; Human Capital; Business or Company Management; Crisis Management; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Management Succession; Brands and Branding; Marketing Channels; Marketing Communications; Marketing Strategy; Product Positioning; Social Marketing; Media; Distribution; Distribution Channels; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Infrastructure; Logistics; Public Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Strategy; Adaptation; Business Strategy; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Expansion; Vertical Integration; Segmentation; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Fashion Industry; Retail Industry; United Kingdom; England; London

21 Apr 2021
Research & Ideas

The Pandemic Conversations That Leaders Need to Have Now

organization doesn’t seem psychologically safe, create venues for honest questions and ideas. Find a channel for people who have concerns they may not want to bring to their direct supervisors. In meetings, allow people to submit... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg, Robin Abrahams, and Katherine Connolly Baden

14 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Restarting Under Uncertainty: Managerial Experiences from Around the World

their daily shift meetings. Communication intentionally involved a variety of channels to make sure everyone could be reached, including companywide messages, Zoom meetings, WhatsApp messaging, and video calls . Case 3: Empowering... View Details

Keywords: by Raffaella Sadun, Andrea Bertoni, Alexia Delfino, Giovanni Fassio, and Mariapaola Testa

01 Jun 2015
News

Screen Grab

According to Moffett, the intense focus on how and when various TV channels will be unbundled and rebundled in new subscription packages is misplaced, despite the recent flurry of attention given offerings such as Dish Network’s Sling TV,... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; HBO; Netflix; Hulu; Vimeo; YouTube; Telecommunications; Information; Arts, Entertainment

01 Jun 2001
News

Point, Click, Give: Internet Fuels Philanthropic Fundraising Revolution

confront several hurdles besides raising money. To channel donations, many need to create links to nonprofits and often face mistrust. Some dot-com CEOs said they were perceived as Internet “robber barons,” out to take advantage of the... View Details

Keywords: Anne Kavanagh; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

February 1985 (Revised April 1991)
Case

Computervision-Japan (A)

The CAD/CAM market in Japan is about to take off. Computervision wants its exclusive distributor to dramatically expand its sales and service coverage. The distributor wants a joint venture with Computervision before expanding. Several distribution alternatives... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Channels; Distribution Channels; Information Technology Industry; Japan

30 Apr 2008
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Brand Management

their customers' customers can capture a larger share of channel margins and build loyalty that can protect them against lower-priced competitors. Can Individuals Create Their Own Brand? The Case of the Mystery Writer's Brand A look... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Sports; Publishing; Auto

30 Nov 2009
Research & Ideas

Tracks of My Tears: Reconstructing Digital Music

Many products in those sectors are sold in a bundled form, so bundling strategies have always been a key topic for media and entertainment firms. But I learned that the rise of digital channels is introducing new questions. Executives are... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Music

13 Apr 2007
Working Paper Summaries

Incorporating Price and Inventory Endogeneity in Firm-Level Sales Forecasting

Keywords: by Saravanan Kesavan, Vishal Gaur & Ananth Raman; Retail

October 1988
Case

Pepsi-Cola Fountain Beverage Division: Marketing Organization

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Keywords: Marketing; Marketing Channels; Food and Beverage Industry

Find at Harvard

2009
Working Paper

Crafting Integrated Multichannel Retailing Strategies

Multichannel retailing is the set of activities involved in selling merchandise or services to consumers through more than one channel. Multichannel retailers dominate today's retail landscape. While there are many benefits of operating multiple channels, these... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Channels; Marketing Strategy; Distribution Channels; Sales; Integration; Retail Industry

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November 1996 (Revised October 1998)
Case

Reynolds Metals Company: Consumer Products Division

Reynolds Consumer Products Division must decide whether to discontinue its program of case allowances in favor of discretionary trade dollars targeted for market development. View Details

Keywords: Marketing Channels; Consumer Products Industry