Publications

January 2021 (Revised October 2021)
Case

eToro: Building the World's Largest Social Trading Network

By: Elie Ofek and Danielle Golan

Social trading platform eToro was preparing for the launch of its expanded offering in the U.S. The company faced critical decisions regarding product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, positioning and monetization. Moreover, it faced the challenge of how best to make... View Details

Keywords: Social Trading Platform; Investment; Social and Collaborative Networks; Marketing Strategy; Expansion; Digital Platforms

06 Sep 2004
Research & Ideas

The Innovator’s Battle Plan

makes the difference is what a company does with that information. Incumbents usually see the same technologies that entrants do. Because of their processes and values, however, incumbents predictably "cram" the View Details

Keywords: by Clayton M. Christensen, Scott D. Anthony & Erik A. Roth

August 2022 (Revised June 2024)
Exercise

How Should Netflix Add an Ad-Supported Tier?

By: Elie Ofek and Olivier Toubia

In the summer of 2022, it became clear that Netflix would introduce an ad-supported tier alongside its existing subscription plans in the near future. Speculation abounded as to the details of the new tier: How many minutes of advertising would it include? What picture... View Details

Keywords: Pricing; Television Industry; Price; Marketing Strategy; Digital Platforms; Customer Value and Value Chain; Competitive Strategy; Customer Satisfaction; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

01 Jun 1998
News

Simmons Family Endows Professorship

has received rave reviews from industry experts for its financial performance. It has built specialized lines of business in institutional investments, municipal finance, and small-business lending. A regional leader in technological... View Details

Web

Courses by Faculty Unit - Course Catalog

and Valuation Using Financial Statements Joseph Pacelli Fall 2025 Q1Q2 3.0 Yuan Zou Spring 2026 Q3Q4 3.0 Changing the World: Life Choices of Influential Leaders (also listed under General Management) Robert Simons Fall 2025 Q1Q2 3.0 Generative AI for Business Leaders... View Details

17 Feb 2022
Book

When Employees Feel a Sense of Purpose, Companies Succeed

should support their teammates in their personal development, no matter who they are or what their background. The Boston-based women’s technology company Ovia Health is the leading digital health platform... View Details

Keywords: by Ranjay Gulati

23 Jun 2023
News

Highlights from the Spring 2023 Alumni Board Meeting

the School, and how that research is tied to practice, continuing to increase affordability and access, establishing a digital infrastructure for the School to complement our physical campus, and exploring and strengthening the role of... View Details

Web

The Challenge of Color - The High Art of Photographic Advertising - Baker Library | Bloomberg Center

Muray Photo Archives. olvwork490166 Alfred Cheney Johnston. A Study in Color, ca. 1934. olvwork490098 Color photography made its appearance in magazine advertising in the 1890s through the process of chromolithography. Advances in the View Details

26 Sep 2011
HBS Case

HBS Cases: Lady Gaga

right. As revenues from recorded music steadily declined from 2004 to 2008, concert revenues steadily rose, according to data presented in the case. "Advances in digital technology have had a strong... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Entertainment & Recreation; Music

March 2020 (Revised August 2022)
Case

Racial Discrimination on Airbnb (A)

By: Michael Luca, Scott Stern, Devin Cook and Hyunjin Kim

Facing mounting criticism and evidence of widespread racial discrimination on the platform, apartment rental platform Airbnb needed to decide a path forward. For years, Airbnb had given hosts extensive discretion about whether to reject a guest after seeing little more... View Details

Keywords: Platform Design; Digital Platforms; Design; Prejudice and Bias; Trust; Problems and Challenges

2008
Working Paper

Concentration Levels in the U.S. Advertising and Marketing Services Industry: Myth vs. Reality

By: Alvin J. Silk and Charles King III

This paper analyzes changes in concentration levels in the U.S. Advertising and Marketing Services (A&MS) industry using publicly released data that have been largely ignored in past discussions of the industrial organization of this industry, namely those available... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Mergers and Acquisitions; Revenue; Analytics and Data Science; Surveys; Marketing; Measurement and Metrics; Rank and Position; Competition; Advertising Industry; Service Industry; United States

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Web

The Idea of Instant Photography - Edwin H. Land & Polaroid | Harvard Business School

developing. EXPLORE MORE OF THE EXHIBIT EXPLORE x HOME EMERGENCE OF A NEW TECHNOLOGY The Invention of the Polarizer A RESEARCH & MANUFACTURING COMPANY Commercialization of the Polarizer Innovation and the War Effort A Rewarding Working... View Details

Web

What You Can Support - Alumni

learning, and research. Digital Innovation HBS is harnessing the latest technology to educate students, conduct real-world research, and provide lifelong learning to alumni. Faculty and Research HBS faculty... View Details

01 Dec 2022
News

Action Plan: To the Letter

anywhere, forever. But the business model is changing. Chacko likens it to the evolution of music sales, from analog purchases to digital purchases, to digital streaming platforms, in which you pay for... View Details

Keywords: April White; design; typography; change management; leadership; Special Design Services; Professional Services

2023
Working Paper

The Benefits of Revealing Race: Evidence from Minority-owned Local Businesses

By: Abhay Aneja, Michael Luca and Oren Reshef

Is there latent demand to support Black-owned businesses? To explore, we analyze a new feature that made it easier to identify Black-owned restaurants on a large online platform. We find that labeling restaurants as “Black-owned” increased customer engagement and... View Details

Keywords: Black-owned Businesses; Race; Prejudice and Bias; Ownership; Knowledge Dissemination; Digital Platforms; Consumer Behavior; Food and Beverage Industry

SSRN

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March 2024
Case

Nomad: A License to Bank

By: Paul A. Gompers and Pedro Levindo

In late 2023, Lucas Vargas, CEO and co-founder of Nomad, a fintech that offered financial services in the United States for Brazilian residents, had to decide what to do to ensure the company’s continued expansion. Nomad launched its first product, a U.S. digital bank... View Details