Publications

30 May 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, May 30

identified by KT’s team include the Internet of Things (including connected cars and smart city/homes), media, health, energy, and security and surveillance, which might... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

May 2013
Case

Launching Krispy Natural: Cracking the Product Management Code

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Heather Beckham

Pemberton Products is a U.S. market leader in the cookie and bakery snacks segment of the sweet snack market. Looking to expand into the salty snack market, the company acquires Krispy Inc., a maker of salty snack crackers located in the southeastern U.S. To compete... View Details

Keywords: Analytics and Data Science; Competition; Organizational Culture; Management Teams; Brands and Branding; Expansion; Marketing Strategy; Product Launch; Acquisition; Food and Beverage Industry; Ohio; United States

01 Dec 2001
News

Reaching Out

on a problem." The burst of entrepreneurial activity that occurred throughout the 1990s has also stimulated innovation in the social sector, she notes, and unprecedented wealth creation has forced people to... View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons and Julia Hanna; Health, Social Assistance

July 1996 (Revised June 1998)
Case

Gillette Indonesia

By: John A. Quelch

The country manager of Gillette Indonesia is reviewing his 1996 marketing plan and considering whether the pace of market development and mix of product sales can be impacted by the level and type of Gillette expenditures in the market. View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Emerging Markets; Forecasting and Prediction; Product Marketing; Manufacturing Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Indonesia

24 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

Linking the Globe: The Role of Media and Communications

information, the provision of information, the sale of information." This juncture, added Spar, raises several key questions: Is selling information different from selling other kinds of goods and... View Details

Keywords: by Kenneth Liss; Information; Publishing; Journalism & News; Media & Broadcasting

March 2020
Case

Forbidden City: Launching a Craft Beer in China

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Carole Carlson

This case describes a difficult choice faced by Victor Wang, Managing Director of Singapore-based Eurasian Brewing Company (EBC), concerning the competing product launch plans of Le Jie, Vice President of EBC's China and East Asian operations, and Vivian Chin, EBC's... View Details

Keywords: Subsidiary Management; Craft Brewing; Strategy; Decision Making; Organizational Structure; Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Management Style; Food and Beverage Industry; China; East Asia

December 2017 (Revised January 2018)
Case

Alltech

By: David E. Bell and Natalie Kindred

Alltech was a Lexington, Kentucky–based producer of supplements for animal feed, with revenues of over $2 billion (projected to reach $3 billion in 2018), sales in 120 countries, 5,000 employees, and 100 manufacturing plants worldwide. For nearly four decades, Alltech... View Details

January 2012 (Revised August 2020)
Case

The Swatch Group

By: Rohit Deshpandé, Karol Misztal and Daniela Beyersdorfer

In March 2011, Nicolas Hayek, the CEO of the leading Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch Group, reflected on the positioning of Omega, its revived flagship brand. Which marketing strategy would best allow it to confront its main competitor Rolex? And how would potential... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Segmentation; Product Positioning; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

July 1993 (Revised June 1994)
Case

Phil Knight Managing NIKE's Transformation

By: Hugo Uyterhoeven

Describes Nike's responses to market and competitive challenges as well as its attempts at an organizational transformation from unstructured entrepreneurial management to more formalized, professional management. Focuses on Phil Knight's leadership role. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Managerial Roles; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Problems and Challenges; Competition

June 2012
Article

The Economic Value of Celebrity Endorsements

By: Anita Elberse and Jeroen Verleun

What is the payoff to enlisting celebrity endorsers? Although effects on stock returns are relatively well documented, little is known about any impact on sales—arguably a metric of more direct importance to advertising practitioners. In this study of athlete... View Details

Keywords: Stocks; Value; Advertising; Sales; Brands and Branding; Decisions; Economics; Marketing Strategy; Investment Return

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30 Jan 2017
Research & Ideas

Vanguard, Trian And The Problem With 'Passive' Index Funds

“Investors in those funds benefit from that process, as they tend to buy the company at a discount from the market and sell it back later to the market for a premium once the... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Financial Services

William A. Sahlman

William Sahlman is a Baker Foundation Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

Mr. Sahlman received an A.B. degree in Economics from Princeton University (1972), an M.B.A. from Harvard University (1975), and a Ph.D. in Business... View Details

January 1992 (Revised March 1993)
Case

Maison Bouygues

By: John A. Quelch

The vice president of marketing is reviewing the 1991 marketing plan and budget for Maison Bouygues, the leading builder of new single family homes in France. Due to recession, the company's sales are forecast to be flat and adjustments may need to be made in the... View Details

Keywords: Housing; Marketing Strategy; Forecasting and Prediction; Brands and Branding; Construction Industry; France

May 1996 (Revised November 2018)
Case

Ecolab, Inc.

By: Ashish Nanda

By 1993, Ecolab has established a dominant market position in the institutional cleaning industry. As the company’s principal competitor, Diversify, drives sales aggressively, Ecolab president Al Schuman faces a choice about how best to market Ecolab’s offerings.... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Employees; Retention; Marketing Strategy; Risk Management; Service Industry

17 Mar 2021
Research & Ideas

Beyond Pajamas: Sizing Up the Pandemic Shopper

came true. Sales of pajamas more than doubled in 2020 compared with 2019, the fastest growth among clothing categories, while sales of suits and dresses fell. In contrast to... View Details

Keywords: by Ayelet Israeli, Eva Ascarza, and Laura Castrillo; Retail

21 Dec 2009
Research & Ideas

Good Banks, Bad Banks, and Government’s Role as Fixer

the primary regulator of every systemically risky institution is just not practical. That means it would need to be an expert on money market funds, hedge funds, and life insurance companies as well as... View Details

Keywords: by Roger Thompson; Banking; Financial Services

March 1986 (Revised May 1989)
Case

Wright Line, Inc. (B)

After working unsuccessfully for three years with the new sales and distribution channels organization, Wright Line's managers assess their experience and restructure their marketing organization. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Marketing