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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(661)
- News (125)
- Research (443)
- Events (6)
- Multimedia (4)
- Faculty Publications (137)
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- January 2017 (Revised August 2019)
- Supplement
X Fire Paintball & Airsoft: Is Amazon a Friend or Foe? (B)
By: Feng Zhu and Angela Acocella
Three years after launching his brick-and-mortar store, X Fire Paintball and Airsoft, Steve Herbert Sr. and his sons began selling products on Amazon.com’s third-party Marketplace and online sales expanded rapidly. Over time, X Fire noticed that products of which it... View Details
Keywords: Ethics; Competition; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Small Business; Retail Industry; Canada
Zhu, Feng, and Angela Acocella. "X Fire Paintball & Airsoft: Is Amazon a Friend or Foe? (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 617-047, January 2017. (Revised August 2019.)
- October 2004 (Revised August 2007)
- Case
Alibris in 2004
Alibris, an online marketplace for rare, used, and out-of-print books, is trying to communicate to the professional book dealers who are its main suppliers that they are in the middle of a crisis. Supply is flooding the market, in part from individuals who simply want... View Details
Keywords: Price; Books; Crisis Management; Supply and Industry; Service Operations; Online Technology; Consumer Products Industry
McAfee, Andrew P. "Alibris in 2004." Harvard Business School Case 605-035, October 2004. (Revised August 2007.)
- September 2019 (Revised June 2021)
- Case
Dove and Real Beauty: Building a Brand with Purpose
By: Mark R. Kramer, Myriam Sidibe and Gunjan Veda
Unilever subsidiary Dove soap became a "brand with a purpose" and created shared value when the company decided to launch a Campaign for Real Beauty to combat the artificial media-driven stereotype of female beauty that causes appearance anxiety in women and girls... View Details
Keywords: Stereotype; Body Image; Female; Self-Esteem; Brands and Branding; Mission and Purpose; Advertising Campaigns; Gender; Resource Allocation
Kramer, Mark R., Myriam Sidibe, and Gunjan Veda. "Dove and Real Beauty: Building a Brand with Purpose." Harvard Business School Case 720-361, September 2019. (Revised June 2021.)
- September 2019 (Revised July 2021)
- Case
Gap, Inc., 2019
By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock
In 2000, The Gap, Inc. (Gap) was the world’s largest player in specialty fashion retailing, and companies such as Inditex of Spain, H&M of Sweden, and Fast Retailing of Japan were less than a quarter of Gap’s size. But after two decades of growth, Gap’s progress... View Details
Keywords: Strategic Change; Fashion; Multinational; Brands; Fast Fashion; Competition; Multinational Firms and Management; Performance Improvement; Management Teams; Brands and Branding; Change Management; Strategy; Retail Industry; Fashion Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sweden; Spain; United States
Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "Gap, Inc., 2019." Harvard Business School Case 720-377, September 2019. (Revised July 2021.)
- January–February 2025
- Article
Want Your Company to Get Better at Experimentation?: Learn Fast by Democratizing Testing
By: Iavor Bojinov, David Holtz, Ramesh Johari, Sven Schmit and Martin Tingley
For years, online experimentation has fueled the innovations of leading tech companies, enabling them to rapidly test and refine new ideas, optimize product features, personalize user experiences, and maintain a competitive edge. The widespread availability and lower... View Details
Keywords: Technological Innovation; AI and Machine Learning; Analytics and Data Science; Product Development; Competitive Advantage
Bojinov, Iavor, David Holtz, Ramesh Johari, Sven Schmit, and Martin Tingley. "Want Your Company to Get Better at Experimentation? Learn Fast by Democratizing Testing." Harvard Business Review 103, no. 1 (January–February 2025): 96–103.
- January 2022
- Case
Walmart USA—Searching for Growth
By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Maria P. Roche
In 2022, Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart, and his team looked back at a difficult but ultimately successful past year. The global pandemic had posed enormous challenges, but the company had weathered the storm successfully, raising same-store sales growth,... View Details
Keywords: Health Pandemics; Growth and Development Strategy; Sales; Business Strategy; Business and Shareholder Relations; Retail Industry
Oberholzer-Gee, Felix, and Maria P. Roche. "Walmart USA—Searching for Growth." Harvard Business School Case 722-395, January 2022.
- February 2014 (Revised August 2014)
- Case
The Michelin Restaurant Guide: Charting a New Course
By: Mukti Khaire, Elena Corsi and Jerome Lenhardt
Created in 1900 by the tire manufacturer Michelin, the Michelin Restaurant Guide was widely considered the international benchmark of food rating, and, by 2013, boasted paper editions in 23 countries, and had recently expanded to the United States and Asia. Paper sales... View Details
Keywords: Restaurant; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Business Model; Food; Brands and Branding; Media; Culture; Expansion; Corporate Strategy; Value Creation; Food and Beverage Industry; Tourism Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Publishing Industry; Transportation Industry; Travel Industry; Europe; United States; Japan; China
Khaire, Mukti, Elena Corsi, and Jerome Lenhardt. "The Michelin Restaurant Guide: Charting a New Course." Harvard Business School Case 814-088, February 2014. (Revised August 2014.)
- June 2014
- Case
Going Social: Durex in China
By: Mikolaj Jan Piskorski and Aaron Smith
When Reckitt Benckiser (RB), a leading consumer goods company, first entered China, it encountered significant challenges. RB's strategy relied on selling high margin products supported by cost-effective advertising and distribution, but the highly competitive Chinese... View Details
Keywords: Distribution; Multinational Firms and Management; Internet and the Web; Marketing Communications; Brands and Branding; Consumer Products Industry; China
Piskorski, Mikolaj Jan, and Aaron Smith. "Going Social: Durex in China." Harvard Business School Case 714-430, June 2014.
- July – August 2008
- Article
Should You Invest in the Long Tail?
By: Anita Elberse
The blockbuster strategy is a time-honored approach, particularly in media and entertainment. When space is limited on store shelves and in traditional distribution channels, producers tend to focus on a few likely best sellers, hoping that one or two big hits will... View Details
Keywords: Demand and Consumers; Distribution Channels; Sales; Marketing Strategy; Online Technology; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Music Industry; Retail Industry
Elberse, Anita. "Should You Invest in the Long Tail?" HBS Centennial Issue Harvard Business Review 86, nos. 7/8 (July–August 2008): 88–96. (HBS Centennial Issue.)
- January 2019 (Revised October 2019)
- Case
Rural Taobao: Alibaba's Expansion into Rural E-Commerce
By: Tarun Khanna, Ryan Allen, Adam Frost and Wesley Koo
Alibaba's Rural Taobao initiative had been launched in 2014 as a public service initiative to increase e-commerce adoption in China’s remote rural areas. In the first two iterations of the initiative, dubbed “1.0” and “2.0,” Alibaba had partnered with local businesses... View Details
Keywords: Strategy; Business Growth; Ecommerce; Corporate Social Responsibility; Business And Government; Emerging Market; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Emerging Markets; Rural Scope; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Government Relations; Decision Making; E-commerce; China
Khanna, Tarun, Ryan Allen, Adam Frost, and Wesley Koo. "Rural Taobao: Alibaba's Expansion into Rural E-Commerce." Harvard Business School Case 719-433, January 2019. (Revised October 2019.)
- October 2014
- Case
Progressive, 2007-2013
By: John R. Wells and Galen Danskin
In 2013, Progressive was the fourth largest player in the auto insurance market, having lost the third position to GEICO in 2008. As the industry shifted from agency to online sales, GEICO's direct selling model positioned it strongly for growth. Progressive's direct... View Details
Keywords: Strategic Change; Insurance Companies; Insurance; Strategy; Insurance Industry; North America
Wells, John R., and Galen Danskin. "Progressive, 2007-2013." Harvard Business School Case 715-427, October 2014.
- June 2024 (Revised August 2024)
- Case
Revlon India's Turnaround: Navigating Online-Offline Decisions Using a Balanced Scorecard
By: Tatiana Sandino and Samuel Grad
Revlon India was founded as a joint venture in 1995, pairing the industrial conglomerate UMG with the global beauty brand Revlon, Inc. to bring international color cosmetics to India. After growing rapidly and pioneering the Beauty Advisor (BA) model in India, the... View Details
Keywords: Balanced Scorecard; Restructuring; Training; Supply Chain Management; Distribution; E-commerce; Business Model; Business Plan; Decision Choices and Conditions; Marketing Strategy; Alignment; Brands and Branding; Negotiation; Joint Ventures; Strategic Planning; Salesforce Management; Competition; Retail Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; India
Sandino, Tatiana, and Samuel Grad. "Revlon India's Turnaround: Navigating Online-Offline Decisions Using a Balanced Scorecard." Harvard Business School Case 124-107, June 2024. (Revised August 2024.)
- 05 Jul 2006
- Working Paper Summaries
Advertising and Expectations: The Effectiveness of Pre-Release Advertising for Motion Pictures
- January 2017 (Revised August 2019)
- Case
X Fire Paintball & Airsoft: Is Amazon a Friend or Foe? (A)
By: Feng Zhu and Angela Acocella
Three years after launching his brick-and-mortar store, X Fire Paintball and Airsoft, Steve Herbert Sr. and his sons began selling products on Amazon.com’s third-party Marketplace, and online sales expanded rapidly. Over time, X Fire noticed that products of which it... View Details
Keywords: Ethics; Competition; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Small Business; Retail Industry; Canada
Zhu, Feng, and Angela Acocella. "X Fire Paintball & Airsoft: Is Amazon a Friend or Foe? (A)." Harvard Business School Case 617-046, January 2017. (Revised August 2019.)
- 17 Mar 2021
- Research & Ideas
Beyond Pajamas: Sizing Up the Pandemic Shopper
for profit margins? The stakes are high. Without a doubt, bringing more customers into online channels offers a great upside. Not only do they contribute to sales today, but they may continue to buy View Details
- December 2021 (Revised February 2022)
- Case
Bed Bath & Beyond: The New Strategy to Drive Shareholder Value
By: Benjamin C. Esty and Daniel W. Fisher
At one time, Bed Bath & Beyond was one of the most successful specialty retailers in the United States—its growth and profit margins far exceeded both peer retailers in the home goods market as well as many other discount retailers. But in 2014, its stock price peaked,... View Details
Keywords: Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Value Creation; Diversification; Corporate Governance; Leading Change; Performance Evaluation; Valuation; Investment Activism; Retail Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States
Esty, Benjamin C., and Daniel W. Fisher. "Bed Bath & Beyond: The New Strategy to Drive Shareholder Value." Harvard Business School Case 722-408, December 2021. (Revised February 2022.)
- 10 Oct 2011
- Research & Ideas
Retailing Revolution: Category Killers on the Brink
categories) becomes unproductive due to customers migrating to e-tailers. As entire sections of these stores die from online competition, category killers are being pressed to come up with solutions to keep their overall model afloat. The... View Details
- 11 Jul 2006
- First Look
First Look: July 11, 2006
into online payments. PayPal, owned by eBay, has targeted online merchants outside eBay's auction community for its next wave of expansion. Google represents a potential threat to PayPal's "off... View Details
Keywords: Sean Silverthorne
- January 2020 (Revised January 2025)
- Case
Freelancer, Ltd.
By: Christopher Stanton, Karim R. Lakhani, Jennifer L. Hoffman, Jin Hyun Paik and Nina Cohodes
Over the course of the 2010s, the rapid advancement of mobile technologies and the rise of online freelancing platforms seemed to portend a radical transformation of labor markets into on-demand, flexible talent pools. Even though several Fortune 500... View Details
Keywords: Freelancers; Platforms; Digital Labor; Labor; Human Resources; Management; Internet and the Web; Growth and Development Strategy; Digital Platforms; Information Industry; Australia; United States; Philippines
Stanton, Christopher, Karim R. Lakhani, Jennifer L. Hoffman, Jin Hyun Paik, and Nina Cohodes. "Freelancer, Ltd." Harvard Business School Case 820-075, January 2020. (Revised January 2025.)
- April 2017 (Revised March 2024)
- Case
Making Target the Target: Boycotts and Corporate Political Activity
By: Nien-hê Hsieh and Victor Wu
Through the challenges facing Target, the case examines ways in which corporations can become involved in political and legislative debates and processes, ranging from campaign contributions to lobbying to political activism. In 2016, Target CEO Brian Cornell must... View Details
Keywords: Boycott; Corporate Political Activity; Lobbying; LGBTQ; Campaign Contributions; Campaign Finance; Retail; Shareholder Activism; Public Opinion; Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Problems and Challenges; Laws and Statutes; Rights; Crisis Management; Risk Management; Media; Political Elections; Taxation; Corporate Accountability; Values and Beliefs; Fairness; Diversity; Customers; Communication; Business and Government Relations; Retail Industry; United States
Hsieh, Nien-hê, and Victor Wu. "Making Target the Target: Boycotts and Corporate Political Activity." Harvard Business School Case 317-113, April 2017. (Revised March 2024.)