Publications
Publications
- August 2016 (Revised August 2017)
- HBS Case Collection
AnswerDash (Abridged)
By: Elie Ofek and Jeffrey D. Shulman
Abstract
It is 2014 and AnswerDash, a startup backed by venture capital, has not seen the widespread adoption of their online self-service customer support solution that they were expecting based on early success in helping clients save and generate substantial amounts of money. Dr. Jacob O. Wobbrock and Dr. Andrew J. Ko are revisiting their go-to-market strategy to determine how to build a viable business out of their groundbreaking technology. The case raises issues in entrepreneurship and B2B marketing such as analyzing economic value to the customer, designing optimal price metrics, aligning pricing with marketing strategy, evaluating customer lifetime value, organizational selling, and influencing innovation adoption.
Keywords
Pricing; Economic Value Estimation; Price Metrics; Organizational Selling; Innovation Adoption; Business To Business; Marketing; Customer Lifetime Value; Venture Capital; Customer Relationship Management; Price; Marketing Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Technology Adoption; Business Startups; Sales; Innovation and Invention; Product Marketing; Financial Services Industry
Citation
Ofek, Elie, and Jeffrey D. Shulman. "AnswerDash (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 517-020, August 2016. (Revised August 2017.)