Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • October 2001 (Revised June 2004)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Harrah's Entertainment Inc.

By: Rajiv Lal and Patricia Carrolo
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:27
ShareBar

Abstract

Describes a situation facing Philip Satre, chairman and CEO of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. Satre was reading a May 2000 Wall Street Journal story that discussed the company's marketing success in targeting low rollers, the 100% growth in stock price and profits in the year to December 1999, and the revenue growth of 50%, which significantly outpaced the industry. The exciting articles aroused Satre's desire to know more about the activities of his then COO, Gary Loveman, and his team of "propeller heads" with respect to their database marketing efforts and the Total Reward Program. Satre was interested in two questions: He wanted to know how much these marketing efforts had contributed to Harrah's overall performance and whether these marketing results were a one-shot event or could be achieved year after year, especially as the competition introduced similar programs.

Keywords

Budgets and Budgeting; Marketing; Marketing Reference Programs; Performance Evaluation; Motivation and Incentives; Competitive Strategy

Citation

Lal, Rajiv, and Patricia Carrolo. "Harrah's Entertainment Inc." Harvard Business School Case 502-011, October 2001. (Revised June 2004.)
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Author

Rajiv Lal

Marketing
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • April 2025 (Revised May 2025)
    • Faculty Research

    Adobe: GenAI Opportunity or Threat?

    By: Sunil Gupta, Rajiv Lal and Allison Ciechanover
    • December 2024 (Revised March 2025)
    • Faculty Research

    WayCool: Addressing Food Loss

    By: Rajiv Lal and Kairavi Dey
    • November 2024 (Revised January 2025)
    • Faculty Research

    Precision Agriculture at AGCO

    By: Rajiv Lal, Alicia Dadlani and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone
More from the Authors
  • Adobe: GenAI Opportunity or Threat? By: Sunil Gupta, Rajiv Lal and Allison Ciechanover
  • WayCool: Addressing Food Loss By: Rajiv Lal and Kairavi Dey
  • Precision Agriculture at AGCO By: Rajiv Lal, Alicia Dadlani and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College.