More from these Authors

• Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2018 (Revised March 2018)

  Huawei: How Can We Lead the Way?

  Elie Ofek, Tian Tao, Eden Yin and Nancy Hua Dai

  On September 12, 2017, just as Apple’s Tim Cook was unveiling the iPhone X, Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group (CBG), and Glory Cheung, his Chief Marketing Officer, were discussing some key strategic issues regarding Huawei’s smartphone business. Established in 1987, Huawei was the largest telecom equipment company in the world. Huawei established the CBG in 2012 to focus on Huawei-branded smartphone models, and within five years had risen to be the No. 3 player in the market in terms of shipments; next only to Apple and Samsung. As they finished watching Cook’s presentation, Yu and Cheung thought about the Mate 10 series, Huawei’s most advanced smartphone that would be launched on October 16, 2017 in Germany. The new models would include Huawei’s proprietary Kirin 970 chipset, which boasted having the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) mobile processor. They had to decide how to position, communicate and price the new phones. Yet beyond these near term decisions, a major challenge facing Huawei was how to make good on Yu’s bold vision to overtake Apple and Samsung in market share within three to five years, while maintaining healthy profits. This task seemed particularly daunting given the difficulties the company had encountered in penetrating the lucrative US market. What would it take for Huawei to be the number 1 smartphone brand globally?

  Keywords: Product Launch; Product Positioning; Marketing Communications; Price; Competitive Strategy; Global Strategy;

  Citation:

  Ofek, Elie, Tian Tao, Eden Yin, and Nancy Hua Dai. "Huawei: How Can We Lead the Way?" Harvard Business School Case 518-071, February 2018. (Revised March 2018.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2018

  Yo-Yo Ma and Silkroad

  Rohit Deshpandé, Paul A. Gompers and Scott Duke Kominers

  Silkroad — a cross-cultural music collaboration that world-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma had spearheaded since 1998, was preparing to celebrate its twentieth anniversary. In parallel, Ma was stepping back from his role as the organization’s Artistic Director. Silkroad had come of age, gaining international recognition for its uniquely global music, which blended musical traditions from across the world — especially Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and America. The Ensemble had also forged strong partnerships with universities, local governments, and civic groups, and developed an array of outreach programs to help people understand and express themselves through music. Ma was confident that there could be no better time to hand over leadership. But the transition was bittersweet: He felt a deep personal connection both to the Ensemble as a whole and to every one of its performers and staff members. And he wondered how reducing his involvement would affect the organization’s sustainability.

  Keywords: Cultural entrepreneurship; Managing diverse teams; Leadership transitions; Global innovation; nonprofit organizations; music; Cultural Entrepreneurship; Nonprofit Organizations; Music Entertainment; Leadership; Transition;

  Citation:

  Deshpandé, Rohit, Paul A. Gompers, and Scott Duke Kominers. "Yo-Yo Ma and Silkroad." Harvard Business School Case 818-110, March 2018.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducators

  Related

• Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | August 2017 (Revised March 2018)

  Kameda Seika: Cracking the U.S. Market

  Elie Ofek

  Teaching Note for HBS No. 517-095.

  Citation:

  Ofek, Elie. "Kameda Seika: Cracking the U.S. Market." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 518-033, August 2017. (Revised March 2018.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsPurchase

  Related