Publications

September 2010 (Revised April 2017)
Case

Aspen Skiing Company (A)

By: Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice

Having begun improving the environmental performance of its own operations, Aspen Skiing Company is considering "greening" its supply chain and lobbying for greenhouse gas regulations. A world renowned ski resort vulnerable to global climate change, Aspen's activities... View Details

Keywords: Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Supply Chain Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Government Relations; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Aspen

February 2023
Supplement

Peloton Interactive (B)

By: Suraj Srinivasan, Lynn S. Paine and David Lane

Supplements “Peloton Interactive (A)” (HBS No. 323-005), describing company restructuring and changes to management and the board of directors between February 8 and early October 2022. View Details

Keywords: Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Growth Management; Investment Activism; Leadership; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

August 2014
Teaching Note

Peter Guber: The 'Me' vs. 'We' Brand

By: Stephen A. Greyser, William Ellet and Nelson Gayton

Well-known film producer Peter Guber must decide whether to commit to a time-consuming personal project. He is about to sign a contract for a business book in which he will share what he has learned in his long career. At the same time, he is keenly aware of problems... View Details

Keywords: Work-Life Balance; Entrepreneurship; Brands and Branding; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

August 2014
Case

Peter Guber: The 'Me' vs. 'We' Brand

By: Stephen A. Greyser, William Ellet and Nelson Gayton

Well-known film producer Peter Guber must decide whether to commit to a time-consuming personal project. He is about to sign a contract for a business book in which he will share what he has learned in his long career. At the same time, he is keenly aware of problems... View Details

Keywords: Work-Life Balance; Entrepreneurship; Brands and Branding; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

December 2015
Case

IDEO: Human-Centered Service Design

By: Ryan W. Buell and Andrew Otazo

The case describes IDEO, one of the world's leading design firms, and its human-centered innovation culture and processes. It is an example of what managers can do to make their own organizations more innovative. In reaction to a rapidly changing competitive landscape,... View Details

Keywords: Design Thinking; Innovation; Service Management; Service; Design; Service Delivery; Innovation and Management; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Peru

May 2007 (Revised May 2011)
Teaching Note

Netflix (TN)

By: Willy C. Shih

Teaching note to (607-138). View Details

Keywords: Media; Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

November 1993
Case

Edgar J. Scherick Associates

Edgar Scherick, a leading television movie producer, must determine whether fact-based movies garner higher Nielsen ratings than fictional movies. Scherick has data for all 1992 TV movies broadcast on major networks. Ultimately, Scherick must decide whether it is... View Details

Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Film Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

June 1997 (Revised September 2000)
Teaching Note

Lynton V. Harris & Madison "Scare" Garden (A), (B) TN

By: Michael A. Wheeler and Georgia Levenson

Teaching Note for (9-897-143) and (9-897-144). View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Contracts; Profit Sharing; Risk and Uncertainty; Negotiation Participants; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Australia; New York (city, NY)

October 2013 (Revised October 2013)
Case

Rhythm & Blues

By: Willy Shih

The bankruptcy filing of Rhythm & Hues, who received an Oscar for the arresting visual effects in Life of Pi, raised questions about the challenges faced by the firms like it as well as the broader post-production industry. The rapid pace of technology certainly... View Details

Keywords: Post-production; Visual Effects; Digital; Entertainment; Animation Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Television Entertainment; Theater Entertainment; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Information Technology; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Information Infrastructure; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Los Angeles

21 May 2021
News

See Us Unite for Change

Courtesy Sheila Lirio Marcelo In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month, MTV’s Entertainment brands are streaming a global television special, “See Us Unite for Change,” on May 21. Hosted... View Details

Keywords: Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries

March 1988 (Revised July 1990)
Case

Walt Disney Productions: Greenmail

Considers a firm whose investment strategies have essentially run out. Walt Disney's original visions and goals have all been fulfilled and after his death no new ones are forthcoming. Disney faces repeated takeover attacks and is forced to either set new corporate... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Crisis Management; Acquisition; Financial Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

25 Jun 2019
News

Ann Sarnoff To Lead Warner Bros. Studio

Sarnoff also discussed the challenge of meeting the needs of the modern audience. “We need to emotionally connect with our audiences and build a connection that can last into future generations,” she told Deadline. “They’re experiencing... View Details

Keywords: Arts, Entertainment

30 Aug 2018
News

Sharing a Passion for Art

Photos by Richard Bolger Joop van Caldenborgh (AMP 71, 1975) crossed the world many times in three decades as founder and president of the Netherlands-based Caldic Chemie, BV, an international distributor of compounds for industrial,... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg; Arts, Entertainment

November 2017
Teaching Note

Reinventing Best Buy

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

Teaching Note for HBS No. 716-455. 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.... 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; Technology; Hardware; Information Technology; Internet; Mobile Technology; Online Technology; Search Technology; Software; Web; Web Sites; Wireless Technology; Resource Allocation; Computer Industry; Computer Industry; Computer Industry; Computer Industry; Computer Industry; Computer Industry; Computer Industry; Computer Industry; Computer Industry; United States; Minnesota; Minneapolis; Saint Paul; St. Paul

April 2005
Case

Saving Disney

At a March 2004 annual shareholder meeting, 45% of Walt Disney Co.'s shareholders withheld their support from CEO and Chairman Michael Eisner, producing a large no-confidence vote in the company's leader. The company had struggled financially in recent years and the... View Details

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Personal Development and Career; Corporate Governance; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

01 Dec 2013
News

Faculty Q&A: Playing the Hits

data freely available. There aren't many industries that publish sales numbers on a weekly basis, for everyone to see, but the movie industry does. And when I started to... View Details

Keywords: Patrick Kirchner; Arts, Entertainment; Arts, Entertainment; Arts, Entertainment

August 2024 (Revised January 2025)
Case

Barbie: Reviving a Cultural Icon at Mattel

By: Elie Ofek, Ryann Noe and Sarah Mehta

The 2023 release of the live-action film Barbie, and its accompanying marketing blitz, incited a worldwide Barbie craze. Suddenly Barbie was everywhere, a celebrated icon reinstated at the forefront of cultural conversation. This goodwill stood in contrast to... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Media; Intellectual Property; Business Strategy; Entertainment; Gender; Public Opinion; Marketing Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States