Media - Publications - Faculty & Research

06 May 2008
First Look

First Look: May 6, 2008

its historic status as a vendor of the Macintosh personal computer (PC) line. Mac sales remained vital to Apple's future, but they now accounted for less than half of its total revenue. The company's line of iPod media players, its iTunes... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

26 Feb 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, February 26, 2019

intake linked to commercial products. Media (including social media) coverage about the safety and cost of many consumer goods, both medical (drugs, devices) and nonmedical, reflect profound public concerns. Longstanding societal scrutiny... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

16 Jul 2014
HBS Case

Marketing Obamacare

family-oriented. Strategy: Advertise in Spanish-language media to inform people how to sign up. Stoic Skeptics (20%): Older, often single people who doubted the success of healthcare reform. Strategy: Promote "Healthy Chats"... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Health

03 Jul 2012
First Look

First Look: July 3

well) to the thoughtful adoption of social media technology. And they offer guidance on how to balance the benefits of open-ended talk with the realities of strategic execution. Drawing on the experience of leaders at diverse companies... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

27 Jul 2019
Op-Ed

Does Facebook's Business Model Threaten Our Elections?

technology-driven efforts to sway their votes, and from as far away as Russia, according to US government claims. Social media in general and Facebook specifically were the primary weapons of choice. It worked so well that spending by US... View Details

Keywords: by George Riedel

May–June 2024
Article

Should Your Brand Hire a Virtual Influencer?

By: Serim Hwang, Shunyuan Zhang, Xiao Liu and Kannan Srinivasan

Followers respond more favorably to sponsored posts by virtual influencers versus those by humans, costs are lower, and creating an influencer from scratch allows marketers to introduce more diversity. View Details

Keywords: Social Media; AI and Machine Learning; Brands and Branding; Power and Influence

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09 Mar 2020
Research & Ideas

Warring Algorithms Could Be Driving Up Consumer Prices

all sorts of elements of the digital marketplace that our existing legal frameworks are not particularly well-suited to deal with.” About the Author Kristen Senz is a writer and social media editor for Harvard Business School Working... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Retail

July 15, 2022
Article

Does Elon Musk Have a Strategy?

By: Andy Wu and Goran Calic

Does Elon Musk have a strategy? Or is he just out there winging it? Looking at Musk’s many companies, common themes stand out across three areas: what fits into his vision for problems to solve, how he designs an organization as a solution to those problems, and why he... View Details

Keywords: Technology; Strategy; Vision; Resources; Organization; Platform; Closed Systems; Leadership; Complexity; Organizational Design; Vertical Integration; Problems and Challenges; Success; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

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12 Dec 2016
HBS Case

Business Lessons from Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

terrific working relationship makes the story really unique.” Elberse hopes that the case study will help students understand what it takes for stars like Johnson to build a successful media business that cuts across film, television, and... View Details

Keywords: Re: Anita Elberse; Motion Pictures & Video; Entertainment & Recreation

10 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

Cable TV: From Community Antennas to Wired Cities

cable franchises, media company managers could leverage their knowledge of local communities and their political processes. However, some companies avoided franchising: their executives worried that the need to influence city officials... View Details

Keywords: by Thomas R. Eisenmann; Media & Broadcasting; Media & Broadcasting; Media & Broadcasting

August 2024 (Revised January 2025)
Case

Barbie: Reviving a Cultural Icon at Mattel

By: Elie Ofek, Ryann Noe and Sarah Mehta

The 2023 release of the live-action film Barbie, and its accompanying marketing blitz, incited a worldwide Barbie craze. Suddenly Barbie was everywhere, a celebrated icon reinstated at the forefront of cultural conversation. This goodwill stood in contrast to... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Media; Intellectual Property; Business Strategy; Entertainment; Gender; Public Opinion; Marketing Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Retail Industry; United States

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08 Jan 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, January 8, 2019

generating a brand book for Israel that suggested a guiding brand position of “creative energy”; inviting social media influencers to partake in trips focused on lifestyle interests; generating appealing, non-conflict related content... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

23 Jul 2012
Research & Ideas

Book Excerpt: ‘Talk, Inc.’

communicate with them in a dynamic, two-way fashion. Fifth, there is technological change. As digital networks make instant connectivity the norm of business life, and as social media platforms grow more powerful and more ubiquitous, a... View Details

Keywords: Re: Boris Groysberg

12 Dec 2006
First Look

First Look: December 12, 2006

geography still matter enormously in global business. Strategy and Society: The Link between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility Authors:M. E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer Periodical:Harvard Business Review 84, no. 12 (December 2006) Abstract... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

29 Oct 2000
Research & Ideas

Building a Powerful Prestige Brand

generally worked with the advertising managers. In its early years, the cosmetics company could not afford a large, mass media campaign. Instead, Estée and department store managers sent mailings to targeted local consumers. When Lauder... View Details

Keywords: by Nancy F. Koehn; Beauty & Cosmetics; Consumer Products; Retail

01 Nov 2024
In Practice

Layoffs Surging in a Strong Economy? Advice for Navigating Uncertain Times

From tech to media to management consulting firms, layoffs are back. Downsizing during a healthy economy can help lay the foundation for efficient growth or make space for new roles that harness newer technology, such as artificial... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Technology; Information Technology

14 Feb 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research: February 14

transactional media marketplace and hoped that two new marketing analytics products would give it a more predictable revenue stream. But sales were behind forecast. DataXu’s large brand and advertising agency clients found the new... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 1982 (Revised August 1988)
Case

Duncan Field (A)

Duncan Field, having left employment in the cable television industry, is attempting to find and buy a cable system with a financial backer. Traces Duncan's career path preparing for this move, shows development of his financial backing, follows his search, and... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Personal Development and Career; Media and Broadcasting Industry

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July 1972 (Revised September 1985)
Case

Saturday Evening Post (Revised)

Permits analysis of the need for adapting strategy to environmental change and for choosing among strategic alternatives in the light of new environmental opportunities. Management and board failures in these areas may be traced to some of the underlying causes,... View Details

Keywords: Journals and Magazines; Management Style; Values and Beliefs; Governing and Advisory Boards; Adaptation; Leadership Style; Media and Broadcasting Industry; United States

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June 2024
Case

Metub: Scaling Influence beyond Vietnam

By: Paul A. Gompers and Shu Lin

Founded in 2014, Metub was a leading video and talent network in Vietnam. It managed over 3,000 channels on YouTube and more than 3,000 content creators. To expand creators’ income opportunities across multiple platforms, Metub had diversified beyond its original... View Details