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• Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2019 (Revised June 2019)

  Where to Grow Next at Online Marketplace OLX

  The CEO of OLX Brazil, an online classifieds platform business, is debating among multiple paths to grow sustainably (i.e., profitably) without the need for investor money. The options under consideration are (1) penetration growth by focusing on the core, (2) new markets growth by entering adjacencies, or (3) new products growth by developing new services. Each of these options carries a series of benefits and risks. How should OLX’s CEO compare the options and choose the best path to grow his platform business?

  Keywords: online marketplace; Growth; customer acquisition; Facebook; two-sided network; e-commerce; classifieds; Naspers; Schibsted; innovation; Startup; Market Platforms; Online Technology; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Model; Innovation and Invention; Business Startups; Decision Choices and Conditions; Brazil;

  Citation:

  Teixeira, Thales, Leandro A. Guissoni, and Samy Dana. "Where to Grow Next at Online Marketplace OLX." Harvard Business School Case 519-064, February 2019. (Revised June 2019.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

  Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Expanding from One to Many Millions of Customers

  By 2019, two-sided online platforms (or marketplaces) were among the highest-growing internet startups around. These marketplaces sought to match suppliers of assets for rent, physical products, or services with customers demanding them. Among the most notable two-sided platforms that quickly reached millions of customers were Airbnb, Etsy, and Uber. They offered short-term property rentals, handcrafted goods, and car rides, respectively. As two-sided markets grew past the 1 million customer mark, challenges of typical large businesses appeared. Among the challenges facing Airbnb, Etsy, and Uber were maintaining the fast pace of customer acquisition, reducing customer retention problems, and avoiding regulatory issues. How did these platforms balance their fast growth and massive size with so little time to adapt to ever mounting challenges? How did they adapt and change their customer acquisition tactics to grow from 1 million to many millions of customers so quickly? This is the third and final instalment of the Airbnb, Etsy, Uber trilogy.

  Keywords: Airbnb; Etsy; Uber; Growth hacking; Two-Sided Markets; digital marketing; customer acquisition; Two-Sided Platforms; Growth Management; Marketing Strategy; Customers; Acquisition; Organizational Change and Adaptation;

  Citation:

  Teixeira, Thales S. "Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Expanding from One to Many Millions of Customers." Harvard Business School Case 519-087, June 2019.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2015 (Revised May 2019)

  Managing Consumer Touchpoints at Nissan Japan

  Thales Teixeira, Nobuo Sato and Akiko Kanno

  In 2015, Nissan was third place in the Japanese auto market, behind Toyota and Honda. The challenge of increasing market share was that 80% of car shoppers who were non-Nissan owners did not consider Nissan during their purchase process. This process involved three main consumer touchpoints: mass media advertising, internet auto websites, and the physical dealerships. In the last five years, the importance of the dealers in influencing car sales had greatly diminished as consumers researched and chose which make and brand of car to buy online, going to the dealer only to negotiate price, purchase, and receive the car. Given this trend, how should Nissan's top marketer make changes in how Nissan manages these three key consumer touchpoints? And how to better integrate them to maximize sales.

  Keywords: Nissan; Automobiles; cars; touch points; digital marketing; Internet; Web Sites; Marketing Channels; Advertising; Auto Industry; Japan;

  Citation:

  Teixeira, Thales, Nobuo Sato, and Akiko Kanno. "Managing Consumer Touchpoints at Nissan Japan." Harvard Business School Case 516-035, September 2015. (Revised May 2019.)  View Details

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