Publications

January 2024 (Revised May 2024)
Case

Uncle Nearest: Creating a Legacy

By: Hise Gibson, Archie L. Jones, Nicole Gilmore and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

Fawn Weaver, as a Black woman and industry outsider in a capital-intensive, highly regulated, competitive and male-dominated spirits industry, successfully overcame numerous obstacles to launch a premium American whiskey brand, Uncle Nearest in 2017, which became the... View Details

22 Feb 2022
News

Breaking News

and declining print advertising revenue. That was the firm foundation upon which local newspapers were built, so that pressure on the traditional sources of revenue has obviously put pressure on the rest of the business—and particularly... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; illustration by Dana Smith; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

Web

Industry Information - Alumni

for full access). Adweek Long running publication dedicated to advertising and marketing. Tiered subscription model (free registration for a limited number of articles per month; subscribe for full access). Alliance for Audited Media... View Details

July 2021 (Revised February 2022)
Case

Mary Kay Inc.: Enriching Women's Lives while Embracing Change

By: Elie Ofek, K. Shelette Stewart and Julia Kelley

In December 2020, Mary Kay Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Sheryl Adkins-Green considered several strategic dilemmas. Founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay was a direct sales company whose Independent Beauty Consultants purchased its beauty and cosmetics products at... View Details

02 Apr 2015
Research & Ideas

Digital Initiative Summit: Big Messages, Small Screens, Many Choices

traditional models of advertising, including video ads. Brown discussed his experience with Twitter Amplify, which lets broadcasters instantly replay video content on Twitter—sandwiched between brief clips from advertising sponsors. For... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Advertising

22 Mar 2013
Research & Ideas

Pulling Campbell’s Out of the Soup

company in January 2001. In the late 1990s, the company increased prices and lost many consumers to less expensive soup brands. Rather than bring prices back down, to maintain earnings Campbell cut costs by reducing advertising and laying... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Food & Beverage

01 Mar 2004
News

Derek Ferguson

Advertising (a firm that helps clients reach the $890 billion youth and hip-hop markets); Bad Boy Films; and Daddy’s House Social Programs, which provides tutoring for more than five hundred students in New York and New Jersey. (P.... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment

February 2018 (Revised October 2019)
Technical Note

The Art and Science of Brand Valuation

By: Jill Avery

Brand valuation, the art and science of calculating the economic value accruing to a firm from its use of an intangible brand asset, yields frustratingly inconsistent, discrepant, and, therefore, controversial results. While it is widely accepted that brands are... View Details

02 May 2016
Blog Post

5 Facts about Clubs at HBS

Fair early in the RC year, and clubs advertise themselves to recruit members. It may feel overwhelming at first to see so many clubs hawking for you to join. And many clubs charge membership dues (often one and two-year rates) in order to... View Details

Web

Commercialization of the Polarizer - Edwin H. Land & Polaroid | Harvard Business School

charismatic style of presentation along with Polaroid's inviting advertising literature and product packaging bolstered sales. The company's colorful, easy-to-read promotional kits for its glare-free desk lamps, crafted by industrial... View Details

June 2016 (Revised March 2017)
Technical Note

Disintermediation in Two-Sided Marketplaces

By: Benjamin Edelman and Philip Hu

Two-sided marketplaces often risk disintermediation: users may rely on the marketplace to find each other but then perform related future transactions—or even the current transaction—without the platform’s involvement and without paying any fees the platform may... View Details

Keywords: Disintermediation; Strategic Behavior; Circumvention; Undercutting; Uber; Airbnb; Handy; Upwork; Etsy; eBay; Monster.com; Google; Competitive Strategy; Multi-Sided Platforms; Marketplace Matching; Advertising Industry; Advertising Industry; Advertising Industry; Advertising Industry

27 Nov 2000
Research & Ideas

The Dynamics of Standing Still: Firestone Tire & Rubber and the Radial Revolution

"Radial Age" advertising campaign in 1968. 2 The August 1968 Consumer Reports awarded its top two spots to radials and documented the new technology's longer life, increased safety, handling and economy relative to even... View Details

Keywords: by Donald N. Sull; Manufacturing; Transportation

September 1983 (Revised December 1985)
Case

Dunkin' Donuts (C): Growth Strategy

By: Hirotaka Takeuchi

Dunkin' Donuts franchises and operates retail donut shops for take-home and in-shop consumption. Looks at three growth alternatives: 1) More shops (owned or franchised); 2) A broader product line; and 3) More advertising. Raises important issues related to franchise... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Brands and Branding; Logistics; Franchise Ownership; Relationships; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry