Publications

July – August 2011
Article

The Paradox of Samsung's Rise

By: Tarun Khanna, Jaeyong Song and Kyungmook Lee

Twenty years ago, few people would have predicted that Samsung could transform itself from a low-cost original equipment manufacturer to a world leader in R&D, marketing, and design, with a brand more valuable than Pepsi, Nike, or American Express. Fewer still would... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Design; Research and Development; Marketing; Business Processes; Brands and Branding; System; Globalized Markets and Industries; Transformation; Cost; Forecasting and Prediction; Production; Quality; China; India; Turkey

Find at Harvard

01 Sep 2015
News

Alumni and Faculty Books for September 2015

fees, brand globalization, the rise of holding companies, client obsessions with shareholder value, the digital and Internet revolutions—and outlines the steps senior agency executives need to take to... View Details

02 Apr 2018
Blog Post

Event Planning for Recruiting Success – Part 2

The last post, Event Planning for Recruiting Success – Part 1, reviewed the two main recruiting events at HBS, Company Presentations and public Company Conversations. In Part 2 we will cover hosting virtual events, meeting with targeted... View Details

Keywords: All Industries

28 May 2019
News

Alumni and Faculty Books for June 2019

aspirations. Through purposeful steps, bold action, and an unleashed imagination, she built her new life from the ground up. Now she is the CEO of her own multimillion-dollar lifestyle brand View Details

August 2019
Case

Legrand's Acquisition of Milestone

By: C. Fritz Foley and F. Katelynn Boland

In June 2017, Legrand, a global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructure which was a serial acquirer, announced it had signed an agreement to buy Milestone AV Technologies, a leading designer and manufacturer of branded audio-video products. This... View Details

Keywords: Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Acquisition Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Management; Strategy; Corporate Finance; Electronics Industry; Europe; United States

August 2001 (Revised October 2001)
Case

What a Great Idea

By: Myra M. Hart and Susan Harmeling

Charles "Chic" Thompson has created a successful business as a professional speaker, consultant, and author of two books on creativity. He is challenged to institutionalize his knowledge and brand in an organization that will outlive his involvement. This case examines... View Details

Keywords: Knowledge Management; Entrepreneurship; Management Teams; Organizational Design; Technological Innovation; Technology Adoption; Service Industry; Education Industry

January 2014 (Revised January 2017)
Case

Nivea (A)

By: Karim R. Lakhani, Johann Fuller, Volker Bilgram and Greta Friar

The case describes the efforts of Beiersdorf, a worldwide leader in the cosmetics and skin care industries, to generate and commercialize new R&D through open innovation using external crowds and "netnographic" analysis. Beiersdorf, best known for its consumer brand... View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Innovation Management; Crowdsourcing; Big Data; Innovation Strategy; Innovation and Management; Knowledge Management; Knowledge Sharing; Research and Development; Social and Collaborative Networks; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Analytics and Data Science; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

June 2025 (Revised July 2025)
Case

Full-Funnel Advertising on TikTok

By: Jeremy Yang, Ayelet Israeli and Alexis Lefort

In 2025 TikTok is working to grow its brand and performance advertising business, along with a new integrated full-funnel solution. As an emerging media platform with unique ad formats and user behavior in a privacy-first environment, TikTok faces both significant... View Details

Keywords: Social Media; Growth and Development Strategy; Advertising; Brands and Branding; Digital Marketing; Measurement and Metrics

January 2009 (Revised June 2010)
Case

Cisco Systems (2001): Building and Sustaining a Customer-Centric Culture

By: Ranjay Gulati

Customer centricity has been an important part of the culture at Cisco Systems since its inception. While part of this is attributable to values put in place by the founders and retained by subsequent management, it is also closely interwoven with its organizational... View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Organizational Culture; Research and Development; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Employees; Brands and Branding; Customer Relationship Management; Business Units

November 2009 (Revised January 2010)
Case

Communispace

By: Anat Keinan

Communispace is the market leader in creating and managing private, brand-focused online communities for major corporate clients. These communities have provided its clients with insights into how consumers view their brands, with quick feedback on potential marketing... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Brands and Branding; Product Launch; Network Effects; Social and Collaborative Networks; Online Technology; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

15 Nov 2016
First Look

November 15, 2016

Case 517-021 Brand Portfolio Strategy and Brand Architecture While companies choose to brand their products and... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

27 Jul 2012
News

How to Be Effective in the Global Economy and the Boardroom: CFOs Offer Lessons Learned on the Journey

August 2018 (Revised February 2019)
Case

Shindigz

By: Frank Cespedes

Shindigz provides party and celebratory items for various occasions and events through its branded online channel, through third-party retail and wholesale channels, and external online marketplaces. The case focuses on pricing challenges facing a venture with an... View Details

Keywords: Ecommerce; Pricing; Price; Strategy; Decision Making; Brands and Branding; Distribution Channels; E-commerce; Consumer Products Industry