Article Database

Hulu: Redefining the Way People Experience TV

Abstract:

In May 2017, Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins announced the launch of Hulu Live TV, a new offering that would “change the way people experience TV.” The new service would allow consumers to bypass traditional cable and satellite delivery and use the Internet to access live streams of more than 40 popular broadcast and cable networks along with Hulu’s existing suite of on-demand programming. Priced at $39.99 per month, Hulu Live TV offered consumers a tremendous savings over traditional cable program packages and allowed subscribers to watch programs on Internet-connected televisions and a wide range of mobile devices. Hopkins also announced that the company would make a major push into the production of exclusive, original programming, one of the industry’s most competitive areas. Hulu’s new initiatives occurred during a major transformation in the TV industry as the Internet had revolutionized every aspect of the business. Industry observers wondered if Hulu could successfully compete against the entrenched cable, satellite, and telephone companies (known as Multichannel Video Programming Distributors, or MVPDs). Was $39.99 per month a sustainable price point for Hulu’s new virtual MVPD (vMVPD)? How big a war chest would the company need to succeed in the original programming arena where competitors annually spent billions of dollars? Could Hulu navigate potential conflicts with the individual business plans of its owners: Comcast, 21st Century Fox, Disney, and Warner Bros.—some of the most powerful companies in the entertainment business?

NBCUniversal Telemundo: Transforming Latino Television

Abstract:

In August 2017, Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, considered how the Miami-based Spanish-language TV network Telemundo could succeed in a rapidly shifting media landscape. Over the past few years, Telemundo had prioritized high production value original programming and made significant gains on its Spanish-language rival Univision as well as the four biggest U.S. broadcasters. By 2017, Internet-distributed programming was competing for viewer attention, and Conde wondered how Telemundo could successfully maintain and attract viewers lured to new platforms. Despite the rapid growth in the size and buying power of the Hispanic market, many advertisers considered Spanish-language TV a niche marketing venue. How could Conde convince more advertisers that Telemundo was an effective way to reach this increasingly influential market?

Magnus Resch: Transforming the Art Market Through Transparency

Abstract:

Economist and entrepreneur Magnus Resch was on a mission to make the art market more transparent. To that end, in 2014, he began building the Magnus app, which catalogued the price and transaction history of millions of works of art. Users could download the app, take a photo of any flat artwork, and the app would display that piece’s price along with other pertinent information. Resch believed that such radical transparency would grow the small, rather insular, network of serious art collectors. By May 2018, the app had garnered strong user engagement, with over 10,000 new downloads per month. But Resch was not yet generating revenue from the Magnus app, which was free for users to download. The case explores Resch’s options for monetizing the app, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each option.

AMC Entertainment: Creating a Spectacular Moviegoing Experience (A)

Abstract:

In 2018, the Hollywood film industry is facing tough headwinds. Fewer and fewer Americans are going to movie theaters, opting instead to watch movies on demand in the comfort of their own homes or on portable devices. Adam Aron, the head of the world’s largest movie theater chain, AMC Entertainment, is employing an aggressive strategy to bolster the moviegoing experience by adding new amenities including plush reclining seats, reserved seating, and upscale food and beverage options. He is also placing a special emphasis on expansion overseas where the market is growing. Will his actions allow the company to successfully compete in a mature industry under assault by new digital competitors? With the growing popularity of entertainment subscription services like Netflix and Spotify, should AMC adopt a similar business model?

AMC Entertainment: Creating a Spectacular Moviegoing Experience (B)

Abstract:

The (B) case describes how AMC reacted to the threat from the subscription service MoviePass and provides AMC’s second quarter fiscal year 2018 results.

Apple: Privacy vs. Safety? (B)

Abstract:

In 2016 and 2017, Apple refused to help the FBI access the iPhones of two mass shooters. These refusals highlighted Apple’s stated policy of supporting consumer privacy. Meanwhile, in China, Apple removed various VPN apps from Apple’s Chinese App Store. This action elicited strong negative responses from civil rights activists and members of the U.S. government. In 2019, Apple again faced criticism for removing the HKmap.live app from the App Store, which had been used by protestors in Hong Kong. Other businesses, such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) also faced criticism for their postures toward China.

Jeffrey Deitch: Art Entrepreneur

Abstract:

Jeffrey Deitch is a gallery owner and art entrepreneur. The case discusses the decisions he has made in order to reach his current stage in life, including as a student, HBS grad, museum curator, art advisor, and gallery owner. The case also gives a background on the arts sales industry. After working in a variety of entrepreneurial arts jobs, the question Deitch asks is: what should he do next?Jeffrey Deitch is a gallery owner and art entrepreneur. The case discusses the decisions he has made in order to reach his current stage in life, including as a student, HBS grad, museum curator, art advisor, and gallery owner. The case also gives a background on the arts sales industry. After working in a variety of entrepreneurial arts jobs, the question Deitch asks is: what should he do next?

Organizations and Participatory Development: Post-disaster Recovery in Haiti

Abstract:

The Regenerative Cultures and Resilient Communities Hub (RCx2) is an emerging network of interdisciplinary faculty, staff, and external partners who work through a shared ethical development process. This process posits that capacity is a two-way experience. The capacity of the community and in-country partners is as valid as the need for assessment and building of capacity at Ohio State to effectively and ethically participate in the GSL space. This should not be a hierarchical process, but rather a networked one that can be replicated and scaled out through a package of core content and context knowledge through a horizontal series of relationships in the partnered communities and within our Ohio State community. The RCx2 will research the effectiveness and scalability of the shared ethical development process across contexts. Its consolidated set of curriculum proactively draws upon the diverse pool of disciplinary experts at Ohio State at various layers of the FEWS-health nexus.

Bridging the Praxis of Hazards and Development with Resilience: A Case Study of an Engineering Education Program

Abstract:

Losses from hazard events disproportionately affect long-term development trajectories and activities of communities in the Global South. For this reason, researchers often discuss the growing intersections in hazards and development work. However, despite longstanding considerations of the interrelated nature of these fields, the integration of hazards and development in application and practice remains a challenge. This is particularly true as it relates to the organization of hazards- and development-related education and training programs. A growing number of ‘engineering-for-development’ or ‘humanitarian engineering’ programs aim to depart from the traditional disciplinary canon by providing interdisciplinary training in the engineering, development, and hazards fields. We studied one such program to explore how understandings and practices of hazards work are shaped in a development-focused engineering training program. Through in-depth interviews with program participants and observations of program events, we found that while students working in this area have a broad understanding of the linkages between hazards and development, they identify limitations to the integration of these fields in their educational training and experience in practice. Knowledge gained from students working at the boundaries of the hazards and development fields offers insight into the ongoing frictions of integrating work across these areas. Conceptualizations of ‘resilience’ offer individuals working at the boundaries of these fields an opportunity to make connections between hazards and development. We argue that an increased focus on connecting development and hazards work through resilience can serve as a useful tool to better train future cohorts of students working in hazards and development.

Resisting and Assisting Engagement with Public Welfare in Engineering Education

Abstract: