Publications

August 2020 (Revised February 2021)
Case

Luckin Coffee (A): Caffeine-fueled Growth?

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Karen Elterman

This case describes the founding of Chinese coffee chain Luckin Coffee in 2017 and its path to surpassing Starbucks as the largest coffee chain in China (by number of stores) in 2019. Unlike Starbucks stores, which were designed to be welcoming “third places” for... View Details

01 Nov 2011
First Look

First Look: Nov. 1

he contemplated the position his business unit found itself in: a latecomer. As a state-owned enterprise, Dongfeng had entered into numerous joint ventures to produce automobiles under foreign brands, but its foray into selling vehicles under its own View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

24 Mar 2009
First Look

First Look: March 24, 2009

authorities will soon deplete their supply. I evaluate a series of possible responses to this shortage: sharing addresses impedes new Internet applications and does not seem to be scalable. A new numbering system ("IPv6") offers greater capacity, but View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

09 Feb 2016
First Look

February 9, 2016

could a small brand compete against a company that had captured the hearts and minds of consumers? Which brand-positioning concept should Paez choose to best capture consumers' attention and interest and compete against TOMS? How would... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Apr 2014
First Look

First Look: April 1

opportunistic low-ball offers. Working Papers The Effect of Management Control Elements on Coordination By: Bormann, Sara, Jan Bouwens, and Christian Hofmann Abstract—This study examines how control elements of a firm affect coordination among profit centers. The... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 2011 (Revised September 2011)
Case

Wii Encore?

By: Andrei Hagiu

Nintendo faced huge difficulties in July 2011. Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox had caught up with the innovative motion-sensing controllers of the original Wii. And the new Nintendo 3DS handheld console had experienced a very disappointing start. Moreover,... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Innovation Strategy; Two-Sided Platforms; Brands and Branding; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Video Game Industry

03 Oct 2017
First Look

First Look at Research and Ideas, October 3, 2017

achieved much in this time: launching one of the first online retailers in the country, building a logistics network from scratch, acquiring customers at an astonishing pace, and signing up major brands to... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

20 Mar 2012
First Look

First Look: March 20

personal and professional network across three continents. The case considers the steps he has taken to build and cultivate a network that creates value for himself and others. Purchase this... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

September 2006 (Revised February 2007)
Case

Friendster (A)

By: Mikolaj Jan Piskorski and Carin-Isabel Knoop

In January 2006, the president of Friendster needs to choose between two strategic options to revive the company. Friendster started the social networking industry in 2003, but has been overtaken by MySpace and Facebook. The two options are: 1) offer new features to... View Details

Keywords: Value Creation; Competitive Advantage; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Social and Collaborative Networks; Brands and Branding; Service Industry

25 Apr 2023
Op-Ed

How SHEIN and Temu Conquered Fast Fashion—and Forged a New Business Model

under globally recognized brand names, including the private labels of mass merchants such as Walmart, Costco, and Target. Most of those profits accrued to the brands, rather than the Chinese suppliers. E-commerce and the gradual... View Details

Keywords: by John Deighton; Fashion; Retail; Consumer Products

29 Nov 2010
HBS Case

United Breaks Guitars

in class is whether social media are better at destroying value than creating it. In social media an entity's size and brand recognition make it more vulnerable to parody and attack, not safer. As we accumulate experience with these... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

12 Feb 2008
First Look

First Look: February 12, 2007

transaction locations. Areas in the task network where transfers are dense and complex should be located in transaction-free zones, so that the cost of transacting does not overburden the system. The thin crossing points between... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

April 1998
Case

Compaq, 1998

By: Steven C. Wheelwright and Matt Verlinden

In 1997, Compaq Computer Corp. had become a $25 billion powerhouse. It had accomplished its revenue growth projections, successfully made a number of strategic acquisitions, and increased its gross margins, principally by moving up market into servers, workstations,... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Transformation; Customer Relationship Management; Profit; Revenue; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Distribution Channels; Alliances; Customization and Personalization; Computer Industry

November 2024 (Revised July 2025)
Case

Polish Agro: Where Do We Grow From Here?

By: Willy C. Shih, Lena Duchene and Daniela Beyersdorfer

By July 2024, Polish Agro had grown into one of Poland’s fastest-growing agribusinesses, with €230 million in revenue, 82 employees, and operations across Northern Poland. The company supported farmers with essential agricultural inputs like fertilizers and seeds,... View Details

07 Jun 2023
HBS Case

3 Ways to Gain a Competitive Advantage Now: Lessons from Amazon, Chipotle, and Facebook

the price, Karp notes. In some cases, a company might keep its prices lower than the amount customers might be willing to part with to earn brand loyalty or hedge against market fluctuations. Similarly, a company may pay employees or... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

04 Oct 2011
Working Paper Summaries

Reviews, Reputation, and Revenue: The Case of Yelp.com

Keywords: by Michael Luca; Food & Beverage

October 2014
Case

McKinsey & Company, 2012

By: John R. Wells and Galen Danskin

In 2012, McKinsey & Company (McKinsey) was the world's premier management consultancy, providing advice to CEO's and top executives of leading companies around the globe. Many consulting firms were bigger but few could match the reputation McKinsey had built over more... View Details

Keywords: Consulting Firms; McKinsey; Strategy; Consulting Industry; North America

September 2006 (Revised December 2007)
Case

Go Red For Women: Raising Heart Health Awareness

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Marie Bell

In 2003, the $654 million American Heart Association (AHA) approached Cone, Inc. (a brand and communications agency) to develop a corporate sponsorship strategy that would raise $75 million over three years. Within 12 months, the AHA launched the highly successful Go... View Details

Keywords: Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Marketing Communications; Social Marketing; Nonprofit Organizations; Social and Collaborative Networks