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- April 2017
- Teaching Note
DoubleDutch
By: Frank Cespedes
This Teaching Note accompanies HBS No. 815-044 “DoubleDutch” in which the co-founders of the event management start-up, DoubleDutch, have to make a significant decision about their young company's sales function. The teaching note covers: Opportunity analysis,... View Details
- April 2018
- Teaching Note
Formlabs: Selling a New 3D Printer
By: Frank Cespedes
Teaching Note for HBS No. 817-001. Formlabs is a venture that manufactures and sells 3D printers used in a variety of industries and applications. As the young company prepares to ship its latest model, the head of Customer Development is tasked with developing a... View Details
Keywords: 3D Printing And Manufacturing; Sales Channel Development; Sales Strategy; Entrepreneurial Management; Product Engineering; Prototype; Prototyping; Entrepreneurship; Product Launch; Information Infrastructure; Business Startups; Customers; Technological Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Technology Adoption; Marketing Channels; Marketing Strategy; Product Positioning; Demand and Consumers; Sales; Salesforce Management; Technology Industry; Computer Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States; Massachusetts; Europe; Asia
- August 1988 (Revised December 2000)
- Case
Dunkin' Donuts (E): 1988 Distribution Strategies
Dunkin' Donuts is exploring various methods of increasing distribution. Possibilities involving new outlets include area development contracts, subfranchising, regional rollout strategies, and an increase in company owned stores. Possibilities focusing on existing... View Details
Keywords: Expansion; Franchise Ownership; Distribution Channels; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States
Kaufmann, Patrick J. "Dunkin' Donuts (E): 1988 Distribution Strategies." Harvard Business School Case 589-017, August 1988. (Revised December 2000.)
- July 2002
- Article
The Sale of Ideas: Strategic Disclosure, Property Rights, and Contracting
By: James J. Anton and Dennis A. Yao
Ideas are difficult to sell when buyers cannot assess an idea's value before it is revealed and sellers cannot protect a revealed idea. These problems exist in a variety of intellectual property sales ranging from pure ideas to poorly protected inventions and reflect... View Details
Anton, James J., and Dennis A. Yao. "The Sale of Ideas: Strategic Disclosure, Property Rights, and Contracting." Review of Economic Studies 69, no. 3 (July 2002): 513–531. (Harvard users click here for full text.)
- November 2016 (Revised October 2018)
- Case
Formlabs: Selling a New 3D Printer
By: Frank V. Cespedes, Olivia Hull and Amram Migdal
Headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, Formlabs manufactures 3D printers used to print everything from prototypes and models to jewelry, dental, and sculpture molds. As Formlabs prepares to ship its latest model, the Form 2, Head of Customer Development and... View Details
Keywords: 3D Printing And Manufacturing; Sales Channel Development; Sales Strategy; Entrepreneurial Management; Product Engineering; Prototype; Prototyping; Entrepreneurship; Product Launch; Information Infrastructure; Business Startups; Customers; Technological Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Technology Adoption; Marketing Channels; Marketing Strategy; Product Positioning; Demand and Consumers; Sales; Salesforce Management; Technology Industry; Computer Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States; Massachusetts; Europe; Asia
Cespedes, Frank V., Olivia Hull, and Amram Migdal. "Formlabs: Selling a New 3D Printer." Harvard Business School Case 817-001, November 2016. (Revised October 2018.)
- November 2003 (Revised May 2008)
- Case
Atlas Electrica: International Strategy
By: Michael E. Porter and Arturo Condo
Atlas must decide whether to acquire La Indeca, increasing its Central American presence, or to focus on larger Latin American markets where higher growth is possible. In the year 2000, Jorge Rodriguez was in charge of Atlas Electrica, the largest home appliance firm... View Details
Keywords: Acquisition; Growth and Development Strategy; Markets; Partners and Partnerships; Competition; Expansion; Latin America; Central America
Porter, Michael E., and Arturo Condo. "Atlas Electrica: International Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 704-435, November 2003. (Revised May 2008.)
- November 2014 (Revised February 2016)
- Case
DoubleDutch
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Matthew G. Preble
Lawrence Coburn and Pankaj Prasad, co-founders of the event solution startup DoubleDutch, have to make a significant decision about their young company's sales function. DoubleDutch's key product was a mobile application (app) and event management platform that... View Details
Keywords: Sales Management; Selling; Marketing Management; Strategy Implementation; Business Marketing; Sales Force Management; Salesforce Management; Marketing; Sales; Marketing Strategy; Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Technology Industry; United States; Europe; Asia
Cespedes, Frank V., and Matthew G. Preble. "DoubleDutch." Harvard Business School Case 815-044, November 2014. (Revised February 2016.)
- November 1986 (Revised June 1987)
- Case
Fieldcrest Division of Fieldcrest Mills, Inc.: Compensation System for Field Sales Representatives
Focuses on the compensation plan for Fieldcrest sales representatives. Management is reviewing the structure of the plan and must decide how to establish compensation goals and guidelines for the following year so that sales efforts are allocated among products and/or... View Details
Cespedes, Frank V. "Fieldcrest Division of Fieldcrest Mills, Inc.: Compensation System for Field Sales Representatives." Harvard Business School Case 587-097, November 1986. (Revised June 1987.)
- Research Summary
Performance Pricing and Business Strategy
This research focuses on companies that have sustained high willingness-to-pay over diverse market conditions, including economic slumps. It examines how firms identify, articulate, and communicate value to selected customer groups and the organizational implications,... View Details
- 13 Mar 2017
- Research & Ideas
Hiding Products From Customers May Ultimately Boost Sales
Retailers routinely swap out the products they display to customers. It’s called assortment rotation, and it’s a popular business strategy for many brick-and-mortar and online stores alike. Retailing trends such as “fast fashion” (think... View Details
- April 12, 2023
- Article
Using AI to Adjust Your Marketing and Sales in a Volatile World
By: Das Narayandas and Arijit Sengupta
Why are some firms better and faster than others at adapting their use of customer data to respond to changing or uncertain marketing conditions? A common thread across faster-acting firms is the use of AI models to predict outcomes at various stages of the customer... View Details
Keywords: Forecasting and Prediction; AI and Machine Learning; Consumer Behavior; Technology Adoption; Competitive Advantage
Narayandas, Das, and Arijit Sengupta. "Using AI to Adjust Your Marketing and Sales in a Volatile World." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (April 12, 2023).
- March 2023
- Case
Innovation at Google Ads: The Sales Acceleration and Innovation Labs (SAIL) (A)
By: Linda A. Hill and Emily Tedards
In 2018, Ana Owczarzak was appointed to lead Google Ads' new innovation and accelerator team - the Sales Acceleration and Innovation Labs (SAIL). The purpose of SAIL was to offer testing and incubation services for individuals within Google Ads who were developing new... View Details
Keywords: Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Organizational Design; Technology Industry; Advertising Industry; Information Technology Industry; United States
Hill, Linda A., and Emily Tedards. "Innovation at Google Ads: The Sales Acceleration and Innovation Labs (SAIL) (A)." Harvard Business School Case 423-076, March 2023.
- April–June 2015
- Article
It Doesn't Matter If Competitors Know Your Strategy
It is difficult for people to implement what they don't understand. Yet, research indicates that, on average, more than 50% of employees in organizations say they do not understand their organization's strategy. Further, the percentage of people reporting ignorance of... View Details
Cespedes, Frank V. "It Doesn't Matter If Competitors Know Your Strategy." ThinkSales (April–June 2015), 10–11.
- Article
Positioning Brands Against Large Competitors to Increase Sales
By: Neeru Paharia, Jill Avery and Anat Keinan
We explore the effect of having a large dominant competitor and show the conditions under which focusing on a competitive threat, rather than hiding it, can actually help a brand. We demonstrate through lab and field studies that highlighting a large competitor's size... View Details
Keywords: Brands; Brand Management; Brand Positioning; Competitive Positioning; Brands and Branding; Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Air Transportation Industry; United States
Paharia, Neeru, Jill Avery, and Anat Keinan. "Positioning Brands Against Large Competitors to Increase Sales." Journal of Marketing Research (JMR) 51, no. 6 (December 2014): 647–656. (Lead article.)
- June 1981 (Revised May 1988)
- Case
L.L. Bean, Inc.: Corporate Strategy
By: Hirotaka Takeuchi
L.L. Bean, Inc., a Maine-based manufacturer and mail-order retailer of sporting goods and apparel, has grown from $3 million in sales (1967) to over $120 million (1980). Current projections predict an annual compounded growth of 25% through 1985. Management must decide... View Details
Keywords: Globalization; Growth and Development; Growth Management; Production; Quality; Sales; Situation or Environment; Corporate Strategy; Internet and the Web; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry
Takeuchi, Hirotaka. "L.L. Bean, Inc.: Corporate Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 581-159, June 1981. (Revised May 1988.)
- November 2008 (Revised May 2009)
- Supplement
BMW's Project Switch (B): Importers vs. National Sales Companies
By: Das Narayandas, Kerry Herman and Laura Winig
BMW is faced with potential channel conflicts across several EU country markets. The case concludes the (A) case's exploration of BMW's approach to redesigning the channel in Greece. The case provides details on both headquarter and country head perspective on BMW's... View Details
Keywords: Business Units; Business Headquarters; Marketing Strategy; Distribution Channels; Conflict and Resolution; Auto Industry; European Union
Narayandas, Das, Kerry Herman, and Laura Winig. "BMW's Project Switch (B): Importers vs. National Sales Companies." Harvard Business School Supplement 509-024, November 2008. (Revised May 2009.)
- Article
Determining Segmentation in Sales Response Across Consumer Purchase Behaviors
By: Randolph E. Bucklin, Sunil Gupta and S. Siddarth
Bucklin, Randolph E., Sunil Gupta, and S. Siddarth. "Determining Segmentation in Sales Response Across Consumer Purchase Behaviors." Journal of Marketing Research (JMR) 35, no. 2 (May 1998): 189–197.
- 2014
- Book
Aligning Strategy and Sales: The Choices, Systems, and Behaviors That Drive Effective Selling
There are many books that provide strategy advice and selling methodologies. But there is a gap in the management literature when it comes to linking sales efforts with strategy. Part 1 of this book provides data indicating how and why sales remain (by far) the biggest... View Details
Cespedes, Frank V. Aligning Strategy and Sales: The Choices, Systems, and Behaviors That Drive Effective Selling. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press, 2014.
- 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
Zhang, Jie, Paul Farris, John Irvin, Tarun Kushwaha, Thomas J. Steenburgh, and Barton Weitz. "Crafting Integrated Multichannel Retailing Strategies." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 09-125, April 2009. (Revised January 2010.)
- September 2012 (Revised January 2013)
- Case
J.C. Penney's 'Fair and Square' Pricing Strategy
By: Elie Ofek and Jill Avery
As a he gets ready to release 2nd quarter 2012 results, Ron Johnson, the new CEO of department store J.C. Penney, is reconsidering the dramatic changes he initiated for the business model and brand image of his company. A new pricing scheme he put in place in February,... View Details
Keywords: Change Management; Consumer Behavior; Management Teams; Business Model; Marketing Strategy; Price; Brands and Branding; Decision Making; Retail Industry; United States
Ofek, Elie, and Jill Avery. "J.C. Penney's 'Fair and Square' Pricing Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 513-036, September 2012. (Revised January 2013.)