Sampsa Samila, professor of strategic management at Iese Business Schoo<\/a>l in Barcelona, says academics must exercise their judgment when choosing the right topics for students. \u201cThis is partly knowing the general area and understanding what the key issues are that would be great learning opportunities in a class discussion,\u201d says Samila. He adds that finding the right setting for the discussion and good writing skills are essential to produce the best case study.<\/p>\n David Yoffie is a Baker Foundation professor at Harvard Business School<\/a>. He wrote his first case study in 1992 on Apple, with the help of its then chief executive John Sculley. He sees case studies as \u201cmanagerial lessons\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTo be effective\u2009.\u2009.\u2009.\u2009faculty require the capability to do important research, which provides new insights into business problems,\u201d Yoffie says. \u201cThe art of writing a case can be a powerful tool to turn those research insights into managerial lessons. In addition, most academic research involves a high number of data points, but cases allow the instructor to dive into managerial problems in a single firm.\u201d<\/p>\n Cases sharpen academic thinking too, says Ayelet Israeli, Marvin Bower associate professor at Harvard Business School. \u201cWriting cases keeps me closely connected to practice,\u201d she says. \u201cThey show how managers actually grapple with opportunities and challenges, which sharpens my understanding of the business environment.\u201d<\/p>\n Here we look at some of the most widely used case studies, from artificial intelligence to Taylor Swift (see top 15 below).\u00a0<\/p>\n Getting ahead in AI<\/p>\n The launch of ChatGPT in 2022 was a game-changer in Silicon Valley. For incumbents such as Google, seen as a leader in AI development, OpenAI\u2019s chatbot spelled danger. Google suddenly faced the risk that its long-term dominance in search would be undermined by a start-up backed by Microsoft.\u00a0<\/p>\n For years, Google\u2019s efforts on AI had been confined to the lab. But OpenAI\u2019s move to release ChatGPT to the public captured the imagination of millions of users. It also raised questions about where the value of AI lay \u2014 in closed products, open research or new hybrid models?\u00a0<\/p>\n Microsoft moved fast to capitalise and rivals rushed to respond. Meta, for example, doubled down on its open-source strategy. All players faced strategic dilemmas. For Google, the competition illustrated the risks of caution in a space where it pays to move first. For Microsoft, it was a rare opportunity to put Google on the back foot.\u00a0<\/p>\n The \u201cAI wars<\/a>\u201d case study frames core corporate dilemmas clearly. Should companies pursue open or closed models? Should they embrace disruption or protect a dominant position? The case stops around early to mid 2023 and risks becoming rapidly dated, but it remains a powerful example for teaching strategy in the fast-moving technology sector.<\/p>\n Andy Wu is a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and a co-author of the case study. He says the intense hype around AI made this a \u201ccrucial topic for a strategy course\u201d. Wu adds: \u201cIt\u2019s too easy for students \u2014 and managers \u2014 to get lost in the hype of the technological arms race without a firm grasp of the fundamentals.\u201d<\/p>\n Disney\u2019s streaming battle<\/p>\n Disney stepped into the streaming service market in 2019, aiming to challenge in a sector dominated by Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, soon joined by Apple. Pundits wondered whether Disney+, with its deep content libraries from Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and 21st Century Fox, would be able to harness data and machine learning with the same sophistication that had marked Netflix\u2019s dominance.<\/p>\n Netflix had first-mover advantage when it came to algorithmic-driven personalisation. Its recommendation system grew into a complex engine that exploited user behaviour \u2014 what they watched, when and how frequently. Disney executives debated how to mine data streams that could feed algorithms to personalise customer experience and boost revenues. But they faced a dilemma: could a company steeped in creativity embrace data-driven decisionmaking without diluting its magic? Did algorithms risk watering down the artistic individuality of stories?<\/p>\n The decision point in the \u201cDisney+ and machine learning in the streaming age<\/a>\u201d case study is whether Disney could use machine learning not just as a defensive tool but as a strategic differentiator, personalising viewing and targeting marketing more accurately. The broader lesson is that in the digital era, creativity and algorithms are no longer opposing forces but interdependent drivers of value.<\/p>\n Kevin McTigue, clinical professor of marketing at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois, is a co-author of the case study. He selects cases to write \u201cbecause there is a lesson I need to teach, and I can\u2019t find existing materials that do it as well as I want\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n He adds: \u201cIn this situation, machine learning and AI materials seemed to be overly complicated and technical when managers need to know the use cases and watchouts, not the code. And technology cases can become outdated in months. So, I tried to write this in a way that it could be used successfully as machine learning evolves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Taylornomics\u2019 takes off When Taylor Swift announced her blockbuster 2023 Eras tour, demand for tickets in North America was so high that sales platform Ticketmaster crashed. This cemented the singer\u2019s place as one of the most influential cultural figures on the planet. Eras spanned 149 shows in 51 cities around the world, while the US leg was described as having the economic impact of several NFL Super Bowls.<\/p>\n Swift\u2019s appeal goes beyond music and relies on the ecosystem of influence she has built. Her reach on social media platforms rivals that of large media groups, with more than 280mn followers on Instagram. She famously re-recorded four albums in a dispute over ownership of her songs, then bought back the masters of others. She has built unusual power in negotiating with labels and ticketing platforms. Forbes has estimated her wealth at $1.6bn.\u00a0<\/p>\n Eras was more than a series of concerts; it was a global spectacle that reshaped travel patterns, boosted hospitality revenues and generated a new vocabulary of \u201cTaylornomics\u201d to describe her economic footprint. \u201cSwifties\u201d were projected to spend $5bn during the US tour.<\/p>\n \u201cTaylor Swift: a mastermind of influence<\/a>\u201d, a case study by Anthony Wilson-Prangley and Amy Moore, frames the singer\u2019s rise through the eyes of Willow Novak, a fictional character who admires Swift\u2019s confidence but struggles with her own insecurities. The larger lesson? Swift\u2019s success is not about clever marketing but about building influence that mixes identity, business and art.\u00a0<\/p>\n The case study is a timely and culturally relevant read that explores the outsize impact a singer\u2019s personal brand has in the creation of her music empire. The use of a fictional character is a clever device but may risk trivialising the case for MBA students.<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s balancing act<\/p>\n Apple may be one of the most profitable companies in history but it faces challenges as iPhone sales flatline and regulatory scrutiny intensifies. Under Tim Cook, it has built a services and wearables empire around flagship products such as the Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple TV.<\/p>\n Exposed to saturation in the smartphone sector, Apple has diversified its bets on AI and augmented reality. Meanwhile, regulators are applying pressure. The EU\u2019s landmark Digital Markets Act is pushing to allow users to access alternative marketplaces to Apple\u2019s App Store, potentially undermining an important revenue stream. Washington is probing whether Google\u2019s payment to remain the default search engine in Apple\u2019s Safari browser undermines competition. China has banned government workers and those at state-backed companies from using iPhones, citing cyber security concerns.<\/p>\n This case study, \u201cApple Inc in 2023<\/a>\u201d, offers strategic breadth by tracing Apple\u2019s evolution from the Macintosh and iPod to its current service-heavy model, It also gives readers perspective on regulatory exposure. However, it arguably risks overwhelming students with too much detail about the company\u2019s history and products.<\/p>\n But there is great value in a case focused on one of the most fascinating companies in modern corporate history. \u201cApple has been an object of fascination for students and executives alike for over 40 years,\u201d says Harvard\u2019s Yoffie, one of the authors of the study.<\/p>\n Case studies with reach<\/p>\n Sources: Harvard Business Impact; Ivey Publishing; The Case Centre<\/p>\n Disney+ and machine learning in the streaming age<\/a> AI wars<\/a> Golden careers: money isn\u2019t everything<\/a> Apple Inc in 2023<\/a> Crocs: using community-centric marketing to make ugly iconic<\/a> The Walt Disney Company<\/a> Starbucks Corporation<\/a> Roblox: virtual commerce in the metaverse<\/a> Amazon vs Walmart: clash of business models<\/a> Tesla, Inc<\/a> OpenAI and the large language model market<\/a> DBS Bank: a tech company going all in on AI<\/a> Taylor Swift: a mastermind of influence<\/a>![\"Taylor](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/https:\/\/d1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net\/production\/47990db7-cb08-4f86-a4c3-24970ec2e18f.jpg\")
Fans of Taylor Swift were projected to spend $5bn across the US during the 2023-24 Eras tour \u00a9 Kate Green\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Kevin McTigue and Theo Anderson<\/p>\n
Andy Wu, Matt Higgins, Miaomiao Zhang and Hang Jiang<\/p>\n
John Lafkas<\/p>\n
David B Yoffie and Sarah von Bargen<\/p>\n
Ayelet Israeli and Anne V Wilson<\/p>\n
Frank T Rothaermel and David R King<\/p>\n
Frank T Rothaermel and Chad McBride<\/p>\n
Ayelet Israeli and Nicole Tempest Keller<\/p>\n
Nirmalya Kumar and Sheetal Mittal<\/p>\n
Frank T Rothaermel <\/p>\n
Sampsa Samila and Pascual Berrone<\/p>\n
Steven Miller, Thomas Davenport and Lipika Bhattacharya<\/p>\n
Anthony Wilson-Prangley and Amy Moore<\/p>\n