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New research on measurements and metrics from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including online metrics, auditing firms, and measuring social impact.
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With Predictive Analytics, Companies Can Tap the Ultimate Opportunity: Customers’ Routines

by Rachel Layne

Armed with more data than ever, many companies know what key customers need. But how many know exactly when they need it? An analysis of 2,000 ridesharing commuters by Eva Ascarza and colleagues shows what's possible for companies that can anticipate a customer's routine.

Can AI Predict Whether Shoppers Would Pick Crest Over Colgate?

by Kristen Senz

Is it the end of customer surveys? Definitely not, but research by Ayelet Israeli sheds light on the potential for generative AI to improve market research. But first, businesses will need to learn to harness the technology.

How SHEIN and Temu Conquered Fast Fashion—and Forged a New Business Model

by John Deighton

The platforms SHEIN and Temu match consumer demand and factory output, bringing Chinese production to the rest of the world. The companies have remade fast fashion, but their pioneering approach has the potential to go far beyond retail, says John Deighton.

The $15 Billion Question: Have Loot Boxes Turned Video Gaming into Gambling?

by Scott Van Voorhis

Critics say loot boxes—major revenue streams for video game companies—entice young players to overspend. Can regulators protect consumers without dampening the thrill of the game? Research by Tomomichi Amano and colleague.

Latest Isn’t Always Greatest: Why Product Updates Capture Consumers

by Michael Blanding

Consumers can't pass up a product update—even if there's no improvement. Research by Leslie John, Michael Norton, and Ximena Garcia-Rada illustrates the powerful allure of change. Are we really that naïve?

Have Managers Underestimated the Need for Face-to-Face Contact?

by James Heskett

COVID-19 made remote work and instant delivery mainstays of life for many people, but will the need for community erode these concepts after the pandemic ends? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Burgers with Bugs? What Happens When Restaurants Ignore Online Reviews

by Kara Baskin

Negative Yelp reviews hold more sway with consumers than restaurateurs might think. A machine learning study by Chiara Farronato reveals how online platforms amplify the customer voice, and why business owners should listen.

After the 'Crypto Crash,' What's Next for Digital Currencies?

by Christina Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette

After soaring to dizzying levels, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have lost more than half of their value in recent months. Scott Duke Kominers discusses crypto's volatility, potential for regulation, and why these digital assets are likely here to stay.

Delivering a Personalized Shopping Experience with AI

Re: Jill J. Avery

THE YES, a shopping app for fashion brands, uses a sophisticated algorithm to create and deliver a personalized store for every shopper, based on her style preferences, size, and budget. After launching the app in 2020, the founders had to decide whether to continue developing the algorithm to deliver on the company’s customer value proposition or to focus their resources on new customer acquisition, with the idea that more users on the app would improve the algorithm's performance. Senior Lecturer Jill Avery and The YES co-founder and CEO Julie Bornstein discuss this make-or-break dilemma in the case, The YES: Reimagining the Future of e-Commerce with Artificial Intelligence (AI). This episode was recorded live at Harvard Business School on March 30, 2022 as part of our Case Method 100 celebration.

Why Companies Raise Their Prices: Because They Can

by Rachel Layne

Markups on household items started climbing years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies have realized just how much consumers will pay for the brands they love, says research by Alexander MacKay. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

The Vinyl Renaissance: Take Those Old Records Off the Shelf

by Christine Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette

If listeners today can stream just about any song they want, why are so many music aficionados still buying records? Ryan Raffaelli and Gold Rush Vinyl CEO Caren Kelleher discuss the resurgence of vinyl. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

What Actually Draws Sports Fans to Games? It's Not Star Athletes.

by Rachel Layne

Team owners think they need marquee names or slick stadiums to prosper, but research by Karim Lakhani and Patrick Ferguson suggests that fans want something far simpler: suspense. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

One More Way the Startup World Hampers Women Entrepreneurs

by Michael Blanding

Early feedback is essential to launching new products, but women entrepreneurs are more likely to receive input from men. Research by Rembrand Koning, Ramana Nanda, and Ruiqing Cao. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

IKEA Navigates the Future While Staying True to its Culture

Re: Juan Alcacer & Cynthia A. Montgomery

After years of success in providing quality furniture at affordable prices, Swedish furniture maker IKEA is challenged by the rise of online shopping and changing consumer behavior, plus the arrival of a new leader. The company's top executives know they had to step out of their comfort zones and embrace new strategic initiatives to stay relevant. But which initiatives will best enable IKEA to evolve while staying true to the company’s core values? Harvard Business School professors Juan Alcacer and Cynthia Montgomery discuss navigating a new future while preserving the company’s culture and identity in their case, “Which IKEA Do We Want?” Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Currency Hedging in Emerging Markets: Managing Cash Flow Exposure

by Laura Alfaro, Mauricio Calani, and Liliana Varela

Economies with less liquid foreign exchange derivative markets offer firms fewer options to hedge their currency risk. Given the limitations of natural hedging, these firms are more exposed to systemic risk.

Assessing the Strength of Network Effects in Social Network Platforms

by Marco Iansiti

Network-specific traits, such as the degree of clustering and the prevalence of multihoming, influence the strength and competitive impact of network effects. However, network size alone is often misleading, and network effects should be examined on a case-by-case basis.

Beyond Pajamas: Sizing Up the Pandemic Shopper

by Ayelet Israeli, Eva Ascarza, and Laura Castrillo

COVID-19 forced many shoppers to make their first online purchases. But will these customers stick around? Research by Ayelet Israeli, Eva Ascarza, and colleague. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The Value of Descriptive Analytics: Evidence from Online Retailers

by Ron Berman and Ayelet Israeli

Analytics are descriptive when they describe what happened. Descriptive-analytics solutions are popular among marketers and retailers. This paper provides a benchmark for the benefits of using a descriptive dashboard and illustrates how to potentially extract these benefits.

Biased Sampling of Early Users and the Direction of Startup Innovation

by Ruiqing Cao, Rembrand Koning, and Ramana Nanda

New ventures catering to female customers should be aware that the underrepresentation of women among early users on digital platforms can reduce the venture’s growth and chances of survival. As a result of gaining fewer early users, these ventures reduce future product development and are less likely to raise VC funding.

'Repayment-by-Purchase' Helps Consumers to Reduce Credit Card Debt

by Grant E. Donnelly, Cait Lamberton, Stephen Bush, Zoe Chance, and Michael I. Norton

Many consumers fail to pay off credit card debt each month and suffer financial consequences. Repayment-by-purchase, allocating payment toward specific purchases on a credit card bill, helps consumers gain a sense of progress and control over credit card debt.