More from these Authors

• Case | HBS Case Collection | December 2019 (Revised January 2020)

  Boll & Branch

  Leonard A. Schlesinger and Mel Martin

  Boll & Branch is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) business launched in 2015. It was the first Fair-Trade Certified manufacturer of linens. The case provides background on the company, its start, business model, and evolution through 2019.

  Keywords: direct-to-consumer; channels; Disruption; Business Model; Brands and Branding; Online Technology; Strategy; Retail Industry; United States; Canada;

  Citation:

  Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Mel Martin. "Boll & Branch." Harvard Business School Case 320-052, December 2019. (Revised January 2020.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducators

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2019

  Away: Scaling a DTC Travel Brand

  Jill Avery and Joseph B. Fuller

  Away, a direct-to-consumer, digital native e-commerce seller of travel luggage, is debating how to invest its latest round of venture funding. How quickly could and should Away scale and what were the most promising growth trajectories to maximize its potential? Three decisions face the founders. Should Away continue to invest in driving growth in suitcases and other travel bags or was it time to begin to expand into other adjacent travel categories? How should they use the results of the company’s first customer segmentation study to select target segments and quantify their growth aspirations? What were the right distribution strategies moving forward following a series of pilots that included company-owned stores, temporary airport kiosks, and pop-up experiences with retailer partners?

  Keywords: brand management; DTC; e-commerce; brand extension; lifestyle brand; customer segmentation; retailing; Scaling and Growth; Startup; Brands and Branding; Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Marketing Channels; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Consumer Behavior; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Startups; Consumer Products Industry; Travel Industry; United States; North America;

  Citation:

  Avery, Jill, and Joseph B. Fuller. "Away: Scaling a DTC Travel Brand." Harvard Business School Case 520-051, November 2019.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducators

  Related

• Technical Note | HBS Case Collection | September 2019

  Care Economy in the U.S. (Primer)

  Joseph B. Fuller, William R. Kerr, Manjari Raman and Carl Kreitzberg

  This case describes how caregiving responsibilities influence American employees, firms, and the broader economy. It details how sociodemographic trends in the late 20th century transformed the way that Americans balance their personal and professional lives, analyzing changes such as the evolving role of women in the economy, the rise of non-traditional households, the increasing cost and complexity of healthcare, and the aging and ailing of the U.S. population. The case then reflects on how such changes impact the productivity and profitability of the modern American company. It reviews survey data employees and employers to understand how caregiving impacts individual careers and firms’ profitability. The case concludes by asking readers to “rethink” how care might be provided by employers. It analyzes recent research on the return-on-investment of caregiving benefits, describes ways that firms are expanding their caregiving benefits coverage, and discusses the importance for managers to understand internal “care demographics” and promulgate a culture that supports caregiving.

  Keywords: Human Resources; Talent and Talent Management; Demographics; Labor; Health Care and Treatment; Family and Family Relationships; Strategy; Management; United States;

  Citation:

  Fuller, Joseph B., William R. Kerr, Manjari Raman, and Carl Kreitzberg. "Care Economy in the U.S. (Primer)." Harvard Business School Technical Note 820-027, September 2019.  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducators

  Related