• December 2023
• Case

TikTok: The Algorithm Will See You Now

By: Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai

In a world where attention is a scarce commodity, this case explores the meteoric rise of TikTok—an app that transformed from a niche platform for teens into the most visited domain by 2021—surpassing even Google. Its algorithm was a sophisticated mechanism for... View Details

Keywords: Social Media; Applications and Software; Disruptive Innovation; Business and Government Relations; International Relations; Cybersecurity; Culture; Technology Industry; China; United States; India

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Ghosh, Shikhar, and Shweta Bagai. "TikTok: The Algorithm Will See You Now." Harvard Business School Case 824-125, December 2023.

• November 2023
• Case

Team Liquid: Fueling the Business of Fandom

By: Youngme Moon and Kerry Herman

In 2023, the co-CEOs of Team Liquid, one of the world's most prominent Esports organizations, are deciding whether and how to evolve their business model to include (1) a greater focus on enterprise revenue; and (2) more direct-to-consumer activity. Team Liquid has one... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Customer Focus and Relationships; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Revenue; Organizational Culture; Business and Community Relations; Video Game Industry

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Moon, Youngme, and Kerry Herman. "Team Liquid: Fueling the Business of Fandom." Harvard Business School Case 324-041, November 2023.

• 2023
• Working Paper

Mapping Organizational-Level Networks Using Individual-Level Connections: Evidence from Online Professional Networks

By: Shelley Xin Li, Frank Nagle and Aner Zhou

Organization-level networks facilitate the flow of information and business activities in the economy. Prior research relies solely on high-level connections to measure these networks. Therefore, to understand the role of employee connections at all job levels in... View Details

Keywords: Networks; Value; Social and Collaborative Networks; Innovation and Invention; Knowledge Sharing; Employees; Social Media

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Li, Shelley Xin, Frank Nagle, and Aner Zhou. "Mapping Organizational-Level Networks Using Individual-Level Connections: Evidence from Online Professional Networks." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 24-010, August 2023.

• 2023
• Working Paper

Algorithm Failures and Consumers' Response: Evidence from Zillow

By: Isamar Troncoso, Runshan Fu, Nikhil Malik and Davide Proserpio

In November 2021, Zillow announced the closure of its iBuyer business. Popular media largely attributed this to a failure of its proprietary forecasting algorithm. We study the response of consumers to Zillow’s iBuyer business closure. We show that after the iBuyer... View Details

Keywords: Algorithmic Pricing; Price; Forecasting and Prediction; Consumer Behavior; Real Estate Industry

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Troncoso, Isamar, Runshan Fu, Nikhil Malik, and Davide Proserpio. "Algorithm Failures and Consumers' Response: Evidence from Zillow." Working Paper, July 2023.

• 2023
• Working Paper

Firm Visibility and Acquisition Likelihood: Evidence from Seeking Alpha Coverage

By: Pu Gu, Benjamin Yost and Yuan Zou

This study investigates whether social media coverage influences a firm’s likelihood of being acquired. Specifically, we hypothesize that coverage of a firm on the Seeking Alpha platform raises its visibility to potential acquirers and M&A advisers (i.e., investment... View Details

Keywords: Social Media; Mergers and Acquisitions; Marketplace Matching; Investment Banking

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Gu, Pu, Benjamin Yost, and Yuan Zou. "Firm Visibility and Acquisition Likelihood: Evidence from Seeking Alpha Coverage." Working Paper, July 2023.

• June 2023
• Case

ByteDance: TikTok and the Trials of Going Viral in 2023

By: William C. Kirby, Noah B. Truwit and John P. McHugh

In March 2023, Chew, with an army of well-paid U.S. lobbyists and TikTok creators, descended on Washington. In his testimony, he planned to highlight the 150 million daily active American users on TikTok and how the platform had benefitted small business owners and... View Details

Keywords: Social Media; International Relations; Government Legislation; China; United States

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Kirby, William C., Noah B. Truwit, and John P. McHugh. "ByteDance: TikTok and the Trials of Going Viral in 2023." Harvard Business School Case 323-120, June 2023.

• April 2023 (Revised April 2024)
• Teaching Note

Netflix's Culture: Binge or Cringe?

By: Hubert Joly, Leonard A. Schlesinger, James Barnett and Stacy Straaberg

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 522-096. View Details

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Employees; Recruitment; Resignation and Termination; Retention; Selection and Staffing; Innovation and Management; Innovation Strategy; Leadership Style; Business or Company Management; Management Style; Media; Business Processes; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Performance Expectations; Performance Productivity; Creativity; Business Strategy; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; North America; California; Canada; Europe; Middle East; Africa; Asia; Latin America

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Joly, Hubert, Leonard A. Schlesinger, James Barnett, and Stacy Straaberg. "Netflix's Culture: Binge or Cringe?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 523-004, April 2023. (Revised April 2024.)

• April 2023
• Case

Twitter: The Freedom to Speak Freely and Be Heard

By: Randolph B. Cohen, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Mel Martin

In April 2022, serial entrepreneur Elon Musk announced that he would be interested in purchasing the social media site Twitter for $44 billion. With more than 100 million twitter followers, Musk had historically leveraged the site to engage with the customers of his... View Details

Keywords: Values and Beliefs; Acquisition; Social Media; Power and Influence; Technology Industry; Communications Industry; Public Relations Industry; United States

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Cohen, Randolph B., Carin-Isabel Knoop, and Mel Martin. "Twitter: The Freedom to Speak Freely and Be Heard." Harvard Business School Case 223-026, April 2023.

• April 2023
• Technical Note

An Art & A Science: How to Apply Design Thinking to Data Science Challenges

By: Michael Parzen, Eddie Lin, Douglas Ng and Jessie Li

We hear it all the time as managers: “what is the data that backs up your decisions?” Even local mom-and-pop shops now have access to complex point-of-sale systems that can closely track sales and customer data. Social media influencers have turned into seven-figure... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Framework; Analytics and Data Science

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Parzen, Michael, Eddie Lin, Douglas Ng, and Jessie Li. "An Art & A Science: How to Apply Design Thinking to Data Science Challenges." Harvard Business School Technical Note 623-070, April 2023.

• March 2023 (Revised April 2023)
• Case

Independent Governance of Meta’s Social Spaces: The Oversight Board

By: Jesse M. Shapiro, Natalia Rigol, Benjamin N. Roth and William R. Kerr

Julie Owono is a member of the Oversight Board, an outside entity with the authority to make binding decisions on tricky moderation questions for Meta's companies. She considers the Board's impact, and its future. View Details

Keywords: Business and Government Relations; Social Media; Fairness; Governing and Advisory Boards; Technology Industry; Communications Industry

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Shapiro, Jesse M., Natalia Rigol, Benjamin N. Roth, and William R. Kerr. "Independent Governance of Meta’s Social Spaces: The Oversight Board." Harvard Business School Case 823-111, March 2023. (Revised April 2023.)

• February 22, 2023
• Article

How to Seed Organic Marketing in a Video-First World

By: Ayelet Israeli, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Matt Higgins

Early direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies relied on plentiful capital and low-cost digital marketing to power growth. But as this sector has matured, capital is more constrained, social media is more cluttered, and customer acquisition costs are rising. DTC companies... View Details

Keywords: Online Business; Ecommerce; E-commerce; E-Commerce Strategy; Omnichannel Retail; Omnichannel Retailing; Influencer Marketing; Consumer; Organic Growth; Video Advertising; Promotion; Celebrities; Online Advertising; Online Channel; Online Communities; Online Community; Go To Market Strategy; Platform; Media; Media Content; Digital; Digital Culture; Digital Influencers; Direct To Consumer Marketing; Direct-to-consumer; Innovation ＆ Entrepreneurship; Innovation; Sales; Digital Platforms; Digital Marketing; Digital Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Internet and the Web; Advertising; Business Model; Growth Management; Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Marketing Channels; Marketing Communications; Communication Strategy; Innovation Strategy; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; United States; North America

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Israeli, Ayelet, Leonard A. Schlesinger, and Matt Higgins. "How to Seed Organic Marketing in a Video-First World." Harvard Business Review (website) (February 22, 2023).