Publications

July 2015 (Revised September 2017)
Case

Ron Johnson: A Career in Retail

By: Das Narayandas, Joshua D. Margolis and Ryan Raffaelli

In April 2013, Ron Johnson (HBS '84) stepped down after just 18 months as CEO of J.C. Penney. In his brief tenure, Johnson, an acclaimed retailer respected for his innovation and success in shaping the retail image at Target and Apple, introduced dramatic departures... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Leadership Development; Legal Industry; Procurement; Professional Service Firms; Pricing; Organizational Behavior Modification; Change Management; Innovation Leadership; Situation or Environment; Failure; Management Teams; Brands and Branding; Competition; Retail Industry; United States

15 Jun 2009
Research & Ideas

GM: What Went Wrong and What’s Next

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel for General Motors? Or are those just headlights from an oncoming train? Among Harvard Business School faculty, it depends on whom you ask. The carmaker—home to such storied brands as Cadillac,... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Auto

Web

Use of Harvard Name & Logo | About

Use of Harvard Name & Logo Brand & Style Guidelines The Harvard Business School name and shield are trademarks and their use is governed by explicit rules and guidelines. All members of the community must respect and maintain the... View Details

12 Mar 2021
News

My Favorite Case

four to one. When another premium brand lowers its wholesale price in an attempt to stimulate sales, Heublein’s president decides to increase the price of Smirnoff and put the additional revenue into advertising. This case taught me that... View Details

Keywords: Business Schools & Computer & Management Training; Educational Services

September 1998 (Revised July 1999)
Case

Costco Companies, Inc.

By: David E. Bell and Ann Leamon

Costco Companies, one of the major players in the wholesale club industry, has developed a new class of membership that offers discounted services--auto, health, and home insurance, business credit card processing, real estate services--in exchange for a higher annual... View Details

Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Cost Management; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Supply and Industry; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Risk and Uncertainty; Retail Industry

February 2018 (Revised August 2023)
Case

Nykaa.com: A Passion for Beauty

By: Paul Gompers, Anjali Raina and Rachna Chawla

Being an entrepreneur was a childhood dream for Falguni Nayar. The opportunity to build Nykaa.com, a woman-centered business, with a multi-brand retail format in the beauty and wellness space, and the fact that she was doing it with her daughter Adwaita (HBS MBA 2013)... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Organizational Culture; Information Technology; Human Resources; Brands and Branding; Operations; Marketing; Decision Making

02 Nov 2022
News

Strong Finish

Heela Yang and Alicia Sontag Four years after its launch in 2015, the Brazilian-inspired beauty brand Sol de Janeiro was already profitable; its skin-tightening Bum Bum Cream had been Sephora’s top-selling skin care product for three... View Details

28 Mar 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research, March 28

BATNAs in Negotiation: Common Errors and Three Kinds of 'No' By: Sebenius, James K. Abstract—The best alternative to a negotiated agreement (“BATNA”) concept in negotiation has proven to be immensely useful. In tandem with its value in practice, BATNA has become a... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Research Summary

Energy, IT, real estate, and sustainability

By: Rebecca M. Henderson

Professor Henderson’s current research focuses on the energy, information technology, and real estate sectors and the challenges firms encounter as they attempt to act in more sustainable ways. This work is an outgrowth of her decade-long examination of the... View Details

Web

Historical Data & Sources - Business History

Harvard Business Review 90 (July/August 2012): 141-45 Natura Annual Reports, 2007-2013 Map created by John Regan, MBA 2016 Download Data Set in Excel Pampers Brand Sales by Country Courtesy of Proctor & Gamble Map created by John Regan,... View Details

16 May 2024
News

On the Job

draw on in her leadership of Black Opal Beauty and Fashion Fair cosmetics, two storied brands for people of color that she purchased in 2019 with Cheryl Mayberry McKissick. Desiree Rogers: I’m going to say my first real job in my mind,... View Details

Keywords: first job; leadership; life experience; career lessons; Finance; Oil and Gas Extraction; Mining; Retail Trade

01 Jun 2023
News

Cultivating Prosperity in Afghanistan

Kimberly Jung, pictured in a field of crocuses, returned to Afghanistan to understand how she and her cofounders could import saffron to the United States. Photo courtesy of Kimberly Jung During their first semester at HBS, former United States Army engineer officers... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Gillespie

January 2012 (Revised August 2020)
Case

The Swatch Group

By: Rohit Deshpandé, Karol Misztal and Daniela Beyersdorfer

In March 2011, Nicolas Hayek, the CEO of the leading Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch Group, reflected on the positioning of Omega, its revived flagship brand. Which marketing strategy would best allow it to confront its main competitor Rolex? And how would potential... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Segmentation; Product Positioning; Manufacturing Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

November 2004 (Revised May 2005)
Case

Marvel Enterprises, Inc.

By: Anita Elberse

The management team of Marvel Enterprises, known for its universe of superhero characters that includes Spider-Man, the Hulk, and X-Men, must reevaluate its marketing strategy. In June 2004, only six years after the company emerged from bankruptcy, Marvel has amassed a... View Details

Keywords: Intellectual Property; Business Model; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Opportunities; Growth and Development Strategy; Rights; Entertainment and Recreation Industry