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Business Research for Business Leaders
Cold Call
A podcast featuring faculty discussing cases they've written and the lessons they impart.
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Super Bowl Ads Sell Products, but Do They Sell Brands?

Much of the advertising purchased during the Super Bowl is about selling corporate brands rather than products. Assistant Professor Shelle Santana discusses the art of storytelling on the world’s biggest television stage. Which stories win (or fumble) on game day?   Open for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.

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

Re: Shelle M. Santana

Super Bowl advertising is increasingly about using storytelling to sell corporate brands rather than products. Shelle Santana discusses why stories win (or fumble) on game day. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Juul's Mission: Convince 1 Billion Smokers to Switch Habits

Mike Toffel discusses the controversial rise of Juul vaping products, which have become a cigarette alternative for adult smokers and a growing concern among parents of teens. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Controversial History of United Fruit

Re: Geoffrey G. Jones

Geoffrey Jones discusses the overthrow of President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954 in a US-backed coup supporting United Fruit Company and a key landmark in the history of globalization. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

In the Platform Economy, Upwork Searches for Better Matches in the Cloud

Re: David B. Yoffie

Welcome to the Platform Economy, where business strategists must learn a new form of competition. David Yoffie and Michael Cusumano explain choices facing Upwork, which matches jobs with job hunters in the cloud. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Can Khan Academy Scale to Educate Anyone, Anywhere?

Khan Academy is an online global education nonprofit launched by Sal Khan with the audacious mission to “provide a free world-class education for anyone, anywhere.” Professor Bill Sahlman discusses his case study of the company. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Israel Turns 70: Does it Need a Rebrand?

Re: Elie Ofek

When market research revealed that many people associated Israel with military and political conflict, the country knew a rebrand was in order. In this podcast, Elie Ofek discusses the campaign's results. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

If the Key to Business Success Is Focus, Why Does Amazon Work?

Re: Sunil Gupta

Sunil Gupta explores the infiltration of Amazon into dozens of industries including web services, grocery, and movie production. What’s the big plan? Is the company spread too thin? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Managers, Are You Prepared to Handle Religion in the Workplace?

Re: Derek C. M. van Bever

Managers face growing challenges related to religion in the workplace as religious discrimination claims and monetary settlements increase. Derek van Bever discusses two examples that made their way to the US Supreme Court. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Would You Live in a Smart City Where Government Controls Privacy?

Toronto is experimenting with smart-city concepts envisioned by Google spinoff Sidewalk Labs. Leslie John and Mitch Weiss discuss the tradeoffs of using technology to improve modern city life. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Can Mark Zuckerberg Rebuild Trust in Facebook?

Bill George discusses his case study, "Facebook Confronts a Crisis of Trust," including why Zuckerberg handled the crisis as he did, the role of companies in protecting privacy, and the pros and cons of regulation. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Will Startup Fishbowl Become the Social Media App for Your Industry?

Re: Leslie K. John

Fishbowl's founders have built a social media platform allowing professionals to connect anonymously and with candor within their companies and industries. Can they grow? Leslie John discusses her case study on the boundaries of social media and personal privacy. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Helena Rubinstein Used Tall Tales to Turn Cosmetics into a Luxury Brand

Re: Geoffrey G. Jones

Professor Geoff Jones examines the career of Helena Rubinstein, one of the trailblazing female entrepreneurs of the 20th century. Using guile, brilliant branding, and more than a few falsehoods, Rubinstein lifted cosmetics from an accessory item for prostitutes to a great luxury product during the Great Depression. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Pursuing Precision Medicine at Intermountain Healthcare

Re: Richard G. Hamermesh, Kathy E. Giusti

What happens when Intermountain Healthcare invests resources in an innovative precision medicine unit to provide life-extending, genetically targeted therapies to late-stage cancer patients? Professors Richard Hamermesh and Kathy Giusti discuss the case and its connections to their work with the Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Delicious History of Hershey's Chocolate

Re: Nancy F. Koehn

Milton Hershey, the candy king, pioneered chocolate treats for the masses. But he also built a controversial company town and what today is one of the richest schools in America. Nancy Koehn discusses Hershey's innovative life and vision. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Wegmans Became a Leader in Improving Food Safety

Re: Ray A. Goldberg

Ray Goldberg discusses how the CEO of the Wegmans grocery chain faced a food safety issue and then helped the industry become more proactive. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Can Miguel McKelvey Build the ‘Culture Operating System’ at WeWork?

Re: Jeffrey F. Rayport

How deeply does the culture of a startup matter? Can it be shaped? Professor Jeffrey Rayport discusses WeWork cofounder Miguel McKelvey’s innovative role in building a company culture to support rapid growth. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Using Fintech to Disrupt Eastern Bank from Within

Re: Karen Mills

When Eastern Bank decided to battle a threat from new competitors, it hired a fintech executive to set up Eastern Labs and start innovating. Karen Mills discusses her case study on what happened next. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Honda Created a Civic for Very Light Jets. How High Will It Fly?

Re: Gary P. Pisano

After thirty years of research and development, HondaJet is finally in the air and winning its market. Gary Pisano discusses how Honda moved from cars and lawn mowers to multimillion-dollar private aircraft. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Building a Nonprofit Marketplace to Feed America

Re: Scott Duke Kominers

Feeding America manages a network of more than 200 food banks nationwide. Scott Duke Kominers and Canice Prendergast discuss how the organization designed a fair and efficient marketplace for food distribution. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Could Big Data Replace the Creative Director at the Gap?

Re: Ayelet Israeli

Is it time to throw out the creative director and rely on big data to predict what consumers want to wear next? Assistant Professor Ayelet Israeli discusses how Gap CEO Art Peck considers a bold idea to boost sales. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.