Publications

September 2010 (Revised February 2011)
Case

Red Lobster

By: David E. Bell and Jason Riis

Red Lobster, a 40-year-old chain of seafood restaurants, has just completed some market research revealing an opportunity to shift its target customer segment. The chain is in the final stages of a 10-year plan of rejuvenation under CEO Kim Lopdrup. When he took over... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Customer Satisfaction; Marketing Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Research; Segmentation; Food and Beverage Industry

01 Mar 2016
First Look

March 1, 2016

profitably through acquisitions and organically for two decades. In late 2015, Hain faced challenges on several fronts. First, new consumers were interested in these products, and these consumers had... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

18 May 2022
Research & Ideas

Are Banks the ‘Bad Guys’? Overdraft Fees Are Crushing Low-Income Customers

serve this less affluent segment of the market. How consumers can protect themselves For consumers, the message is clear: Make sure you know your bank’s policy on how—and when—overdraft fees are charged.... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Financial Services

July 2023
Case

Crocs: Using Community-Centric Marketing to Make Ugly Iconic

By: Ayelet Israeli and Anne V. Wilson

In 2022, the Crocs Classic Clog was the best-selling item of clothing on Amazon, the brand was one of the fastest growing brands in the U.S., and global net revenue had increased to approximately $3.6 billion. By most accounts, Crocs had become the “it” shoe. Crocs... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Product Development; Growth and Development; Customer Value and Value Chain; Digital Marketing; Digital Strategy; Segmentation; Advertising; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States

01 Oct 2012
Research & Ideas

Better by the Bundle?

Nintendo, this gives the company a way to separate out segments of consumers—we call this dynamic customer segmentation." Some consumers don't care much about the specific game and will go for the bundle,... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

24 Apr 2023
HBS Case

What Does It Take to Build as Much Buzz as Booze? Inside the Epic Challenge of Cannabis-Infused Drinks

two cannabinoids found in marijuana and hemp. Cann distinguished itself by offering only “micro-dose,” or “low-dose,” beverages that appeal to consumers who only want to get mildly “buzzed,” as opposed to “stoners” who seek out heavier... View Details

Keywords: by Jay Fitzgerald; Consumer Products; Consumer Products

23 Nov 2021
Research & Ideas

The Vinyl Renaissance: Take Those Old Records Off the Shelf

market, it’s largely because their value extends beyond the use value of the product itself. Meaning: There are other values that the consumer attaches to the product or the experience of using the product that become core. There’s a... View Details

Keywords: by Christine Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette; Music

16 Jun 2020
Research & Ideas

Your Customers Have Changed. Here's How to Engage Them Again.

services. Firms whose customer demand for their core products and services has decreased need to find new customers for new products and services in segments experiencing steep increases in demand. Thus, Dyson, GM, Ford, Volkswagen, and... View Details

Keywords: by Rohit Deshpandé, Ofer Mintz, and Imran S. Currim; Retail; Service

14 Aug 2018
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, August 14, 2018

and healthy innovation. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=54851 in press Management Science Procedural Justice and the Risks of Consumer Voting By: Kim, Tami, Leslie John, Todd Rogers, and Michael I. Norton... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

February 2025
Case

Managing Complexity at mymuesli

By: Thomas Graeber and Stacy Straaberg

In April 2009, direct-to-consumer e-commerce muesli brand mymuesli faced a flood of customer questions. The breakfast cereal startup enabled users to order personalized muesli on its website by choosing from 75 organic ingredients for a total of 566 quadrillion... View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Decisions; Food; Product Marketing; Product Positioning; Product Launch; Problems and Challenges; Behavior; Competitive Advantage; Customization and Personalization; Segmentation; Internet and the Web; Food and Beverage Industry; Europe; Germany

21 Jun 2010
Research & Ideas

Strategy and Execution for Emerging Markets

therefore focus their research worldwide, not just on the BRICs. “Often the main prize today is the emerging middle class, which aspires to consume world class products at lower price points." -Krishna G. Palepu "We have been studying... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

07 Jul 2015
First Look

First Look: July 7, 2015

Successful Products for Emerging Markets By: Winter, Amos, and Vijay Govindarajan Abstract—Multinationals are starting to catch on to the logic of reverse innovation, in which products are designed first for consumers in low-income... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

25 May 2010
First Look

First Look: May 25

done many novel things to educate the market about the value of premium organic and Fairtrade chocolate, Zotter consolidated its market position within the premium segment of the Austrian market for chocolate. The company only recently... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

16 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Restaurant Revolution: How the Industry Is Fighting to Stay Alive

consumers in the dining area. On average, restaurants spend 30 percent of their revenue on labor. With increasing focus on fair wages and legislated wage increases, restaurants may easily exceed that average. Moreover, restaurants spend... View Details

Keywords: by Michael S. Kaufman, Lena G. Goldberg, and Jill Avery; Food & Beverage

November 2023 (Revised November 2024)
Case

Norse Atlantic Airways

By: Willy Shih

Bjørn Tore Larsen, Norse Atlantic Airways' founder and CEO, hadn't planned to get into the airline business. But when the COVID-19 pandemic depressed the global demand for air travel and the lease rates for jetliners, he realized if ever he was going to get into the... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Business Startups; Market Entry and Exit; Leasing; Business Strategy; Segmentation; Interest Rates; Air Transportation Industry; Europe; North America; Norway; United Kingdom; United States