Publications

Find at Harvard

April 2009 (Revised May 2009)
Case

Oprah Winfrey

By: Nancy F. Koehn, Erica Helms, Katherine Miller and Rachel Wilcox

The case explores the entrepreneurial journey of Oprah Winfrey, examining how she built an audience for one of the most successful television shows in history; how she created the company, Harpo Productions, that produces that show as well as other media offerings; how... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Personal Development and Career; Strategy; Media and Broadcasting Industry; United States

October 2020 (Revised July 2023)
Case

The Walt Disney Company: The 21st Century Fox Acquisition and Digital Distribution

By: David J. Collis

This case describes the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by the Walt Disney Company and the subsequent launch by Disney of three streaming channels to compete with Netflix. View Details

Keywords: Disney; Streaming; Corporate Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Distribution; Competitive Strategy; Vertical Integration; Media and Broadcasting Industry

27 Feb 2006
Research & Ideas

When Rights of First Refusal Are a Bad Deal

Rights of first refusal are contract clauses common in such industries as entertainment. In 2001, Paramount Studios and the National Broadcasting Company negotiated the broadcasting rights for the hit show... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Construction; Real Estate; Entertainment & Recreation

25 Oct 2022
Research & Ideas

Is Baseball Ready to Compete for the Next Generation of Fans?

While football and basketball are now the most popular and financially successful of the four major professional sports leagues, Major League Baseball appears to be rallying. Last week, MLB said revenue for the 2022 regular season, which featured an American League... View Details

Keywords: by Christina Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette; Media & Broadcasting; Media & Broadcasting

23 Jul 2012
Research & Ideas

The Power of Conversational Leadership

communities (which help far-flung employees find like-minded colleagues), Twitter (which lets employees broadcast information widely, both internally and externally), networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn (which enable information... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

03 Jan 2023
Cold Call Podcast

Wordle: Can a Pandemic Phenomenon Sustain in the Long Term?

Keywords: Re: Christina M. Wallace; Media & Broadcasting; Media & Broadcasting

Portrait Project

Sonakshi Bose

classmates had abandoned me during a game of hide-and-seek, hoping I would get lost. They succeeded. As I breathlessly ran back, with my new vow of meanness in mind, I marched up to the bullies and said – nothing. The TV was on, and the tragedy it was View Details

W. Earl Sasser

Earl Sasser is a Baker Foundation Professor at Harvard Business School and has been a member of the faculty there since 1969. He received a B.A. in Mathematics from Duke University in 1965, an MBA from the University of North Carolina in 1967, and a Ph.D. in... View Details

June 2018 (Revised January 2020)
Case

Sony

By: Stefan Thomke, Atsushi Osanai and Akiko Kanno

Sony used to be synonymous with "innovation" and "cool products." The case reveals how the company lost its edge and describes the leadership initiatives to restore its former glory. In 2012, Kazuo (Kaz) Hirai becomes CEO and successfully transforms Sony, including a... View Details

Keywords: Customer Experience; Product Differentiation; Transformation; Leadership Style; Technology Adoption; Leading Change; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Japan

04 Jun 2001
What Do You Think?

What’s the Future of the Subscription Model?

market" radio broadcasts over the Internet. In fact, some have raised the question about whether, having enjoyed free digitized media and communications services, we have spoiled the revenue models for certain of these services. Has... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

March 2020
Technical Note

Influencer Marketing

By: Jill Avery and Ayelet Israeli

Despite a heavy barrage of advertising, most consumers declare that their purchases are most influenced by the experiences, advice, and recommendations of others, and not by marketers. Interpersonal communication between and among consumers serves as a potent path for... View Details

Keywords: Influencers; Marketing; Marketing Communications; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

25 Jan 2017
HBS Case

How Should Advertisers Respond to Consumer Demand for Whiter Skin?

young woman able to secure a job as a sports broadcaster only after applying the product. And several famous actors have endorsed skin-whitening products. Although men share this desire for fair skin and sometimes dip into similar creams... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Beauty & Cosmetics

August 2019 (Revised April 2021)
Case

Zillow Offers: Winning Online Real Estate 2.0

By: Luis Viceira, Marco Di Maggio and Allison Ciechanover

Founded in 2005, Zillow had become the leading online real estate and home-related marketplace. The brand was recognized as a trusted resource for players in the real estate market, providing information and transparency on home prices. Revenue, which was historically... View Details

Keywords: Real Estate; Corporate Culture; Intermediation; Brokerage; Startup; Evaluating Business Investments; Property; Information Technology; Business Model; Expansion; Business Startups; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; United States

06 Aug 2019
Cold Call Podcast

Super Bowl Ads Sell Products, but Do They Sell Brands?

it was an advertising bro fest, but also a reflection of the cultural norms of the time. After all, the 1960s was the dawn of the golden age of advertising when agencies were evolving from product pitchers to storytellers. That first Super Bowl was View Details

Keywords: Media & Broadcasting; Media & Broadcasting; Media & Broadcasting; Media & Broadcasting

March 2011
Case

Valuation of AirThread Connections

By: Erik Stafford and Joel L. Heilprin

This case can be used as a capstone valuation exercise for first-year MBA students in an introductory finance course. A senior associate in the business development group at American Cable Communications, one of the largest cable companies in the U.S., must prepare a... View Details

Keywords: Communication; Present Value; Tax Accounting; Capital Costs; Synergy; Telephony; Wireless Technologies; Communication Technology; Assets; Cost of Capital; Valuation; Cash Flow; Capital Structure; Accounting; Wireless Technology; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry