Publications

07 Nov 2007
Op-Ed

How Marketing Hype Hurt Boeing and Apple

production delays (the Airbus 380 is two years behind schedule) and customers know this when they place their orders. They will simply operate their existing 747s and 777s a little longer. In addition, no airline manufacturer ever wants to be seen to be compromising... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch; Consumer Products; Consumer Products

23 Feb 2021
Research & Ideas

COVID-19 Shines New Light on Working Conditions in Supply Chains

invent their own standards?” he says. “It's because federal and state safety regulators haven’t set up clear rules and guidance.” We recently talked to Toffel, the Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management, about how the... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Apparel & Accessories

March 2001 (Revised April 2002)
Case

Ginzel et al v. Kolcraft Enterprises et al (A)

By: Michael A. Wheeler

Examines the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of an infant who died after a portable crib collapsed. The manufacturer, Kolcraft, licensed the Playskool brand name from the co-defendant, Hasbro Industries. Raises difficult questions about what the two... View Details

Keywords: Safety; Product; Negotiation; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Lawsuits and Litigation; Legal Liability; Brands and Branding; Consumer Products Industry; United States

28 Jul 2014
Research & Ideas

Eyes Shut: The Consequences of Not Noticing

hypothetical fires. A garment factory in a Third World country with minimal governmental regulatory oversight burns down, killing half of the three hundred women and children employed there; it subsequently becomes clear that the factory's owner failed repeatedly to... View Details

Keywords: by Max H. Bazerman; Retail

24 Aug 2016
Research & Ideas

Can Obamacare Be Saved?

merger between Aetna and Humana, two of the largest health insurers in the United States. The 838,000 consumers who were insured by Aetna exchange plans in 2016 will be forced to select other public exchange plans or purchase individual... View Details

Keywords: by John A. Quelch and Emily Boudreau; Insurance; Health

01 May 2008
Research & Ideas

The Marketing Challenges of the China Olympics

the Games by any company. Most consumers around the world do not let their political views affect their purchase decisions. However, we are likely to see Web sites promoting boycotts of Chinese brands such as Haier, TCL, and Lenovo. Late... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch; Sports

August 2019 (Revised February 2020)
Teaching Note

Sidewalk Labs: Privacy in a City Built from the Internet Up

By: Leslie John and Mitch Weiss

Email mking@hbs.edu for a courtesy copy.

The case serves as a microcosm of issues of digital privacy: the availability of data – personal data in particular – has tremendous potential to improve people’s lives... View Details

Keywords: Privacy; Privacy By Design; Privacy Regulation; Platforms; Data; Data Security; Behavioral Science; Analytics and Data Science; Safety; Entrepreneurship; Business and Government Relations; Consumer Behavior; Digital Platforms

15 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 15, 2008

do to increase penetration? How can Montague overcome the reputation of folding bicycles as inferior performers and convince consumers, dealers, and others of its bicycle's quality? How can the firm get consumers to even notice the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

19 Dec 2018
Sharpening Your Skills

New Year, New Habits

number of actions that build society. The following studies reveal proven methods of encouraging healthy eating and exercise. A Simple Way for Restaurant Inspectors to Improve Food Safety Basic tweaks to the schedules of food View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

December 1993 (Revised November 2009)
Case

Manville Corporation Fiber Glass Group (A)

By: Lynn S. Paine and Sarah Gant

Manville Corp.'s senior managers must decide how to respond to a new scientific study suggesting that fiberglass, the source of 75% of the company's profits, may be another asbestos and must act under conditions of great uncertainty. In particular, when should a... View Details

Keywords: Communication Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Ethics; Health Disorders; Risk Management; Marketing Communications; Product; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Safety; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

23 Mar 2020
Research & Ideas

Product Disasters Can Be Fertile Ground for Innovation

technological complexity only magnifies the challenge. Many companies, meanwhile, are apt to see investment in safety as the cost of fulfilling regulatory requirements or protecting against lawsuits, rather than as an opportunity to... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Health; Medical Devices & Supplies

March 2021 (Revised January 2022)
Case

Philips: Redefining Telehealth

By: Regina E. Herzlinger, Alec Petersen, Natalie Kindred and Sara M. McKinley

As one of the world’s largest healthcare companies, Philips sought to reach beyond the walls of the hospital and expand its hospital-to-home program to gain future competitive advantage through technology solutions combining predictive analytics with care delivery. By... View Details