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- July 2019 (Revised December 2019)
- Module Note
Commoditization and De-Commoditization
By: Clayton M. Christensen
Christensen, Clayton M. "Commoditization and De-Commoditization." Harvard Business School Module Note 420-017, July 2019. (Revised December 2019.)
- Summer 2018
- Article
Why High-Tech Commoditization Is Accelerating
By: Willy C. Shih
Knowledge embedded within state-of-the-art production and design tools is a powerful force that is leveling the global technology playing field. It democratizes innovation and makes future competition more challenging. This paper describes the knowledge flows through... View Details
Keywords: Product Design; Product Commercialization; Product Development; Product Development Strategy; Production; Manufacturing Tools; Manufacturing; Manufacturing Industry; Engineering; Globalization; Goods and Commodities; Knowledge; Commercialization; Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Information Infrastructure; Technology Adoption; Consumer Products Industry; Auto Industry; Semiconductor Industry; Electronics Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Information Technology Industry; North America; Asia
Shih, Willy C. "Why High-Tech Commoditization Is Accelerating." Art. 59420. MIT Sloan Management Review 59, no. 4 (Summer 2018): 53–58.
- 31 May 2018
- News
Why High-Tech Commoditization Is Accelerating
- February 2012
- Module Note
The Commoditization of Investment Management
By: Lauren Cohen
Cohen, Lauren. "The Commoditization of Investment Management." Harvard Business School Module Note 212-086, February 2012.
- August 2018 (Revised August 2018)
- Case
The De Beers Group: Launching Lightbox Jewelry for Lab-Grown Diamonds
By: Benjamin C. Esty
In May 2018, the De Beers Group shocked the diamond industry when it announced it was launching a new fashion jewelry brand of laboratory-grown (synthetic) diamonds. The reaction was swift as people sought to understand the company’s motivations: was it a “huge gamble”... View Details
Keywords: Diamonds; Differentiation; New Business; Strategy Development; Strategy Execution; Scope; Adjacency; Core; Commoditization; New Product Launch; Mining; Retail; Corporate Strategy; Business Strategy; Disruption; Value Creation; Product Launch; Segmentation; Expansion; Competitive Advantage; United States; United Kingdom
Esty, Benjamin C. "The De Beers Group: Launching Lightbox Jewelry for Lab-Grown Diamonds." Harvard Business School Case 719-408, August 2018. (Revised August 2018.)
- 14 Dec 2007
- Op-Ed
When Your Product Becomes a Commodity
exceeding the new specifications. Bundle. Selling a commoditized product with differentiated ancillary services (such as after-sales service) can appeal to buyers willing to pay a premium for the convenience. Segment. Mature markets are... View Details
Keywords: by John Quelch
- 09 Jan 2006
- Research & Ideas
When Benchmarks Don’t Work
counterproductive. Companies should save the benchmarking surveys for commoditized processes or services. Benchmarking became popular several decades ago as part of the total quality management movement. An IBM executive defined it as... View Details
- February 2008 (Revised December 2023)
- Case
Digital Music: From MP3 to Streaming
By: Willy Shih
The emergence of the MP3 file-based music format not only disrupted the market for portable audio players, it also impacted the business models of major record labels. Modularity, and the commoditization spillover enabled by modularity in the personal computer... View Details
Keywords: Recording; Digital Devices; Digital Media; Digital Music; Digital; Digital Economics; Consumer Electronics; Customer Value and Value Chain; Disruptive Innovation; Technological Innovation; Information Technology; Music Industry; Technology Industry; Electronics Industry; United States
Shih, Willy. "Digital Music: From MP3 to Streaming." Harvard Business School Case 608-119, February 2008. (Revised December 2023.)
- April 2012
- Case
Novozymes: Cracking the Emerging Markets Code
By: Krishna G. Palepu and Karol Misztal
In 2011, the management of Novozymes, the industrial enzymes leader, reflected on the viability of their positioning in the fast growing, yet increasingly competitive Chinese market. Novozymes, a technological innovation pioneer, was prominent in China's premium enzyme... View Details
Palepu, Krishna G., and Karol Misztal. "Novozymes: Cracking the Emerging Markets Code." Harvard Business School Case 112-084, April 2012.
- June 1994 (Revised September 1994)
- Background Note
Beating the Commodity Magnet
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and George T. Bowman
All markets follow a cycle of growth and maturity, then commoditization and decline. This note argues that while commoditization of an industry may seem inevitable, the better managed firms find a way to make money in the commodity cycle. These firms know how and when... View Details
Keywords: Goods and Commodities; Financial Markets; Competitive Strategy; Financial Services Industry
Rangan, V. Kasturi, and George T. Bowman. "Beating the Commodity Magnet." Harvard Business School Background Note 594-122, June 1994. (Revised September 1994.)
- December 1997 (Revised March 1998)
- Case
Mid Ocean Limited: Trading Catastrophe Index Options
By: Kenneth A. Froot and Markus Mullarkey
An insurance industry executive must evaluate the potential of a set of newly-offered catastrophe insurance derivatives. The background addresses the roles of traditional reinsurance and securitization efforts in providing risk transfer and risk financing in the "cat"... View Details
Keywords: Commodity Market; Derivatives; Insurance; Capital Markets; Natural Disasters; Risk Management; Financial Management; Financial Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Insurance Industry; Bermuda
Froot, Kenneth A., and Markus Mullarkey. "Mid Ocean Limited: Trading Catastrophe Index Options." Harvard Business School Case 298-073, December 1997. (Revised March 1998.)
- June 19, 2023
- Article
Should You Start a Generative AI Company?
Many entrepreneurs are considering starting companies that leverage the latest generative AI technology, but they must ask themselves whether they have what it takes to compete on increasingly commoditized foundational models, or whether they should instead... View Details
De Freitas, Julian. "Should You Start a Generative AI Company?" Harvard Business Review (website) (June 19, 2023).
- 24 May 2010
- News
Raise Your Prices!
- May 2021 (Revised May 2022)
- Case
Headspace vs. Calm: A Mindful Competition
By: Ayelet Israeli and Anne Wilson
By 2021, the mindfulness app wars reached their apex. Over 2,000 meditation apps were available to consumers, but two apps, Headspace and Calm, dominated the space, jointly holding about 70% of the total market. Headspace had established itself as the approachable... View Details
Keywords: Marketing Communication; Integrated Strategy; Brand; Brand ＆ Product Management; Brand Communication; Brand Differentiation; Brand Building; Brand Management; E-Commerce Strategy; Ecommerce; App; App Development; Applications; COVID; COVID-19; Pandemic; Pricing; Pricing Strategy; Subscription Model; Subscription; Partnerships; Strategic Partnerships; B2B Vs. B2C; B2B; Health ＆ Wellness; Wellbeing; Digitization; Commoditization; Mobile App; Mobile App Industry; Mobile Healthcare; Mobile Marketing; Digital Brand; Digital Health; Consumer Health; Apps; Online Business; Online Competition; Online Community; Online Entertainment; Entertainment And Leisure; Meditation; Marketing; Marketing Communications; Brands and Branding; Price; Strategy; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Partners and Partnerships; Health; Well-being; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Communication; Communication Strategy; Disruption; Consumer Behavior; Digital Marketing; E-commerce; Applications and Software; Health Industry; Technology Industry; Communications Industry; United States; North America; United Kingdom
Israeli, Ayelet, and Anne Wilson. "Headspace vs. Calm: A Mindful Competition." Harvard Business School Case 521-102, May 2021. (Revised May 2022.)
- September 2015
- Case
Eco7: Launching a New Motor Oil
By: John Quelch and Sunru Yong
Aaron Jonnerson, vice president of marketing at the automotive division of Avellin, must make marketing mix decisions for the launch of Eco7, a new environmentally-friendly motor oil. The company's performance has been mediocre, shareholder pressure is increasing, and... View Details
Keywords: Distribution Channels; Environmental Sustainability; Product Launch; Transportation; Energy Sources; Auto Industry
Quelch, John, and Sunru Yong. "Eco7: Launching a New Motor Oil." Harvard Business School Brief Case 916-507, September 2015.
- February 2021 (Revised July 2024)
- Case
White Claw: Defending Market Share as Competition Encroaches
By: Jill Avery
By the end of 2019, two brands accounted for 84% of hard seltzer sales, a segment that had recently taken the U.S. beer market by storm, growing from $3 million in 2015 to over $2.7 billion by the start of the summer of 2020. White Claw was the dominant market leader... View Details
Keywords: Brand Management; Alcoholic Beverages; Beer/brewing Industry; Brand Positioning; Growth; Competitive Positioning; Consumer Products; Beverage Industry; Value Proposition; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Competition; Product Positioning; Competitive Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Consumer Products Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States
Avery, Jill. "White Claw: Defending Market Share as Competition Encroaches." Harvard Business School Case 521-073, February 2021. (Revised July 2024.)
- December 2012 (Revised March 2015)
- Case
AmTran Technology Ltd.
By: Willy Shih, Jyun-Cheng Wang and Karen E. Robinson
As an original design manufacturer (ODM) of television sets and leading supplier to Vizio, a market leader in the U.S. for LCD flat panel TVs, AmTran Technology Ltd. uses what founder Alpha Wu describes as a "WE" model in which western companies perform sales,... View Details
Keywords: Modularity; Technology Transitions; Analog; Digital; Television; TV; Flat-panel; ATSC; NTSC; Video; Global Strategy; Innovation and Management; Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Technological Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Product Development; Product Design; Supply Chain; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Technology Adoption; Technology Platform; Electronics Industry; Taiwan; United States; Japan
Shih, Willy, Jyun-Cheng Wang, and Karen E. Robinson. "AmTran Technology Ltd." Harvard Business School Case 613-069, December 2012. (Revised March 2015.)
- August 2020 (Revised December 2020)
- Case
Satrix: Competing in the Passive Asset Management Industry in South Africa
By: Mark Egan, Pippa Tubman Armerding and Dilyana Karadzhova Botha
In late 2017, Satrix, one of the largest passive asset management firms in South Africa and a pioneer in the industry since 2000, had to decide its strategy going forward in a market where passive asset management had become increasingly commoditized and... View Details
Keywords: Asset Management; Investment Funds; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Financial Services Industry; South Africa; Africa
Egan, Mark, Pippa Tubman Armerding, and Dilyana Karadzhova Botha. "Satrix: Competing in the Passive Asset Management Industry in South Africa." Harvard Business School Case 221-020, August 2020. (Revised December 2020.)
- 2016
- Working Paper
Standardized Color in the Food Industry: The Co-Creation of the Food Coloring Business in the United States, 1870–1940
By: Ai Hisano
This working paper examines how, starting in the 1870s, food manufacturers in the United States began to use standardized color, achieved by synthetic dyes, as part of their marketing strategies. Food manufacturers along with dye makers and regulators co-created the... View Details
Keywords: Food; Supply and Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States
Hisano, Ai. "Standardized Color in the Food Industry: The Co-Creation of the Food Coloring Business in the United States, 1870–1940." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 17-037, October 2016.
- 13 Dec 2016
- News